Story by Ethan
On October 14th, 2026, the arrest of Edith Capellan, age 54, was announced by Manhattan District Attorney Melinda Katz. Edith Capellan was charged with first-degree Immigrant Assistant Services Fraud as a class E felony, first-degree Scheme to Defraud as a class E felony, and third-degree Grand Larceny as a class D felony. The arrest and charges against Edith Capellan were a result of an investigation handled by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
According to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, from May 23rd, 2024, until June 5th, 2026, Edith Capellan impersonated herself as an IRS and immigration officer to allegedly steal over $25,000 from immigrant New Yorkers. The victims would hire Edith Capellan under the assumption that she would assist them with their immigration processes and paperwork. The victims would then hand over thousands of dollars for supposed upfront fees while being promised outcomes such as permanent residency and citizenship. After Edith Capellan had received payments she would claim to have done work in applications on the client’s behalf, and when confronted by victims asking for proof of progress the defendant would refuse to provide documentation, receipt numbers, or other evidence. With one victim the defendant had asked her to delete some text messages that they exchanged with one another. During another case Edith Capellan had used one victim’s identifying information on another victim’s paperwork.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office stated that the charges against Edith Capellan are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
