(Jamaica Observer) THE United States Embassy in Kingston says it is collaborating with the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) to apprehend visa fraudster.
The embassy, in a release, said on April 3, following an investigation conducted by its Overseas Criminal Investigations (OCI) Division, officers of the JCF arrested and charged Eric George Miller of Olympic Gardens on allegations of “obtaining money by means of false pretence”, following complaints received from eight Jamaicans who claimed to have been financially defrauded by Miller to obtain US visas.
The accused, said the release, allegedly convinced each of the eight victims to deposit between $75,000 and $160,000 into his bank account in exchange for promising to help them acquire H2B visas and employment opportunities in the United States. However, when the victims recently appeared at the US Embassy, as instructed by Miller, they learned that they had no visa appointments scheduled, and Miller did not answer their calls or arrive to render assistance with the process.
Miller was subsequently arrested and charged by the JCF’s Counter Terrorism and Organised Crime Division with “obtaining money by means of false pretence”, after misrepresenting himself as someone who could assist in acquiring H2B visas/overseas work opportunities and charging multiple Jamaican nationals for services not rendered.
The US Embassy said its OCI Division is committed to preserving the transparency of the visa issuance process, and is dedicated to ensuring that Jamaican nationals seeking visas are not unfairly exploited by financial fraudsters. The OCI says it actively and persistently investigates allegations of fraud related to US visa applications with support from the JCF, and asked members of the public to report instances of US visa fraud by e-mailing KingstonFPU@state.gov.
