SEATTLE (AP) — A lawyer for the former chief counsel of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Seattle says her client is not offering any excuses for stealing the identities of immigrants.
Raphael Sanchez pleaded guilty in federal court in Seattle on Thursday to charges that he stole immigrants’ identities and used them to defraud credit card companies and banks of more than $190,000. His lawyer, Casey Stamm, said in a written statement after the hearing that Sanchez is a “good person who has made serious mistakes.”
She added that he “does not offer excuses for his acts; rather, he simply provides his sincere and immense regret.”
Sanchez was taken into custody following the hearing. Prosecutors and Stamm agreed to recommend a four-year term when he’s sentenced May 11.