A U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officer in Santa Ana has been indicted on federal charges of accepting thousands of dollars in bribes–and egg rolls–from three immigrants seeking citizenship or residency. Mai Nhu Nguyen, 47, of Irvine, is scheduled to be arraigned Monday in Santa Ana federal court on three counts of solicitation and receipt of a bribe by a public official.
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Each count of bribery by a public official carries a statutory maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison, according to a statement from Thom Mrozek of the U.S. Attorney's Office, which indicates Nguyen was released on a $20,000 bond after making an initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate judge on June 7.
She was arrested the day before in the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Santa Ana office after allegedly accepted $2,200 from an immigrant seeking U.S. citizenship, Mrozek said.
Nguyen had worked there about eight years and had the authority to deny or approve applications for immigration benefits. She is also is accused of taking bribes in 2011, including $1,000 from an immigrant seeking a green card and 200 egg rolls from another who sought citizenship, according to Mrozek.
If the second immigrant came from the Philippines, you really can't blame Nguyen because their egg rolls are like crack.
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