A one-time Virginia Senate candidate will have to spend time in jail and pay restitution to her victims after fraudulently posing as an immigration lawyer.
Jasmine Moawad, a 49-year-old woman originally from Bolivia, was sentenced to five years in jail for fraud on Friday, March 7, with all but six months suspended, the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office announced.
Moawad was also ordered to pay $19,450 in restitution to seven of the victims she defrauded.
According to the release, Moawad offered assistance with immigration visas, work permits and more, directing payments to an account linked to her 2019 Virginia State Senate campaign. When the clients confronted Moawad asking for a return of their payments after the work was not completed, Moawad refused and threatened to have them deported.
Moawad was arrested on May 12, 2021 after an acquaintance of one victim contacted the Fairfax County Police Department out of concern. At the time of the arrest, police said they had identified two victims and were aware of at least five.
According to police, Moawad appeared to particularly target Latino immigrants and operated out of rented office space in the Tysons area, though she lived in Gainesville.
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Moawad, originally from Bolivia, is not a licensed attorney in Virginia or any other jurisdiction. Over a dozen victims were identified throughout the investigation, which began in 2021. Victims had sought Moawad’s purported legal services for a variety of issues, including assistance with immigration visas and work permits, representation in civil matters, and real estate or rental deals. At Moawad’s direction, some victims made payments to a campaign account, New Americanos for America, which was linked to a 2019 campaign for Virginia State Senate. Some victims also testified that when they asked Moawad to return their payments, after the promised work had not been completed, she refused and threatened immigration consequences.
After a two-day restitution hearing last October that included testimony from 11 victims, Moawad pleaded guilty on Feb. 15 to obtaining money by false pretense, a Class 4 felony that could be punished with two to 10 years of prison time.
According to the Washington Post, Moawad apologized at her sentencing hearing last week, but Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Tania M.L. Saylor sentenced her to jail time after finding that she didn’t display “true remorse” during the court process.
The judge determined the amount of restitution based on evidence that victims presented during the October hearing, according to a spokesperson for the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.
Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano said Moawad preyed on some of the most vulnerable community members.
“The defendant targeted vulnerable communities to make money and preyed on clients who couldn’t verify documents because they did not speak English, or who were vulnerable to threats and intimidation because of their legal status,” Descano said. “Our community is only as safe as our most vulnerable members — that’s why my office is committed to keeping all of our community members safe, regardless of the language they speak or their legal status.”
