Accused US visa fraudster arrested in Jamaica

(Jamaica Observer) The police have arrested a man accused of fraudulently collecting money to assist several people with acquiring United States visas.

The Overseas Criminal Investigations (OCI) Division of the US Embassy in Kingston said following its investigation, the police arrested and charged Eric George Miller of Olympic Gardens last Wednesday.

This, the embassy said in a statement, follows complaints received from eight Jamaicans claiming that Miller defrauded them. 

The accused allegedly convinced each of the eight victims to deposit between JMD $75,000 – $160,000 into his bank account in exchange for promising to help them acquire H2B visas and employment opportunities in the United States.

“When the victims recently appeared at the US Embassy as instructed by Miller, they learned that they had no visa appointments scheduled, and Miller did not answer their calls or arrive to render assistance with the process,” the statement continued.

Miller was arrested and charged by the constabulary’s Counter Terrorism and Organized Crime Division (CTOC) with “obtaining money by means of false pretense,” due to misrepresenting himself as someone who could assist in acquiring H2B visas/overseas work opportunities and charging multiple Jamaicans for services not rendered.

The US Embassy’s OCI division said it is committed to preserving the transparency of the visa issuance process, and is dedicated to ensuring that Jamaican nationals seeking visas are not unfairly exploited by financial fraudsters.