Justice says that the journalist deceived anyone seeking a residence visa; victims were allegedly defrauded of US$700,000
The journalist Patrícia Lélis became a defendant in the USA, accused of having pretended to be a lawyer and defrauding those who contacted her of US$700,000. According to the accusation, she deceived people interested in obtaining a residence visa in the country. Lélis was included on the FBI's fugitive list (Federal Bureau of Investigationthe North American federal police).
Former scholarship holder and current supporter of the president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), Lélis said she was being “wanted” by the FBI for taking “documents from some naughty North Americans” who asked her to go “scapegoat” against Brazilians. According to the journalist, US authorities “you already know exactly” where is she “as a political exile”.
In a statement (completein English – PDF – 105 kB), the North American court says that Lélis is accused of electronic fraud, illegal monetary transactions and aggravated identity theft.
The alleged crimes would have occurred from 2021 onwards. According to the text, Lélis promised that the visas would be issued based on the EB-5 program, which provides legal permanent residence and possible citizenship to a foreign citizen who invests “substantial funds” in companies that create jobs in the United States.
One of the victims reportedly made 2 payments totaling US$135,000 (around R$657,000). Lélis reportedly stated that the amount would be for a real estate development project in Texas that would qualify for the EB-5 program.
“Instead, the victim's money would have gone to Lélis' personal bank account.”, the statement reads. “Instead of investing the money as promised”Lélis “supposedly” used the money to pay the down payment on his home in Arlington (Texas), carry out renovations on the property and “pay other personal expenses”such as credit card debt.
“The indictment alleges she convinced friends to pose as employees of the Texas hedge fund in phone calls and video calls with a victim”, completes the text.
According to the statement, Lélis sent one of the victims a false document from a court in which the journalist appeared as a lawyer. She, says the text, “is not a licensed lawyer” It is “is also accused of falsifying US immigration forms, forging multiple signatures and creating false receipts for the Texas investment project, all of which she emailed to a victim”.
Lélis defended herself in two publications on X. He wrote that can “ever“count on her”to be against the US government”. The journalist stated to have “stolen“the evidence to show your side of the story and ensure your safety”And these documents have already been delivered to the government, which granted me political asylum.”, he declared, without saying which country he is in.
WHO IS PATRICIA LÉLIS
Patrícia Lélis, 29 years old, became known in 2016, when she took legal action against the pastor and federal deputy Marco Feliciano (PL-SP) by “ccrimes of rape, bodily harm, kidnapping, false imprisonment, threats and corruption of witnesses”. The case was archived in 2018. In April 2023, the journalist spoke about the case and said he was not the only victim.
In 2017, Lélis claimed to have been threatened by the federal deputy Eduardo Bolsonaro (PL-SP). According to her, the congressman said he would, among other things, “end your life”. At the time, she was a member of the PSC (Christian Social Party), a party to which Eduardo also belonged.
A report from Civil police of the Federal District, released in 2021, indicated the existence of evidence of a crime of slanderous denunciation committed by the journalist against the deputy. The conclusion of the investigation says that the alleged threatening messages sent by the congressman would have been simulated.
In the same year, 2017, Lélis apologized to Lula “for taking to the streets and being in favor of a coup”. In your profile on Facebookpublished photos alongside the PT member.
Montage published by Patrícia Lélis on her Facebook profile; In the images, she is next to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT)
Lélis ran in 2018 for the position of federal deputy for Pros, but was not elected. Shortly afterwards, she moved to the United States.
The journalist filiou to the PT, but was expelled from the party in 2021 after making a statement considered transphobic. In a video published on social media, she says that a trans woman “showed his penis to other women and teenagers” in a bathroom in Los Angeles (USA). After the repercussion, the journalist stated that the statements were taken out of context.
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