Police searching for fake immigration attorney who allegedly stole over $30,000

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Gwinnett County authorities are searching for a man accused of stealing over $30,000 while posing as an immigration attorney. Eddi Bueno-Cabrera has 6 warrants for his arrest, and more could be added if additional victims come forward. His whereabouts are still unknown.

The 46-year-old suspect is originally from the Dominican Republic and is a convicted felon. He has been deported three times in the past.

A Gwinnett County investigator claims that the suspect had a vendor stand at the Pendergrass Flea Market. Bueno-Cabrera allegedly advertised himself as an immigration attorney under the alias Juan Manuel Pineda Cruz. Police say that victims were reluctant to report the crime because of their immigration status.

“On behalf of the Gwinnett County Police Department, we would like to reiterate that regardless of a victim’s immigration status, we urge anyone who was scammed by this suspect to come forward with information about the incident. Our objective is to stop this suspect from continuing to victimize and exploit individuals seeking legal status in this country,” said Detective Cultarevic.

Three of the warrants for Bueno-Cabrera are for theft by deception; the other three are for unauthorized practice of law. The first incident was reported on December 13, 2016. One victim explained to authorities that he paid over $6,000 to the suspect to assist several of his family members in moving to the United States legally.

Two more victims came forward on January 30th. They told police that they paid over $20,000 to the suspect to assist with gaining legal status for 18 foreign workers from Latin America. After several months with no immigration progress, the suspect stopped taking the victims phone calls.

If anyone knows where Eddi can be found, please contact GCPD detectives at 770-513-5300.  To remain anonymous, tipsters should contact Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS (8477) or visit www.crimestoppersatlanta.org.  You can also text your tip to “Crimes” (274637).  Crime Stoppers tipsters can receive up to $2,000 for information leading to an arrest and indictment in this case.  Case Number: 16-115968