New details revealed in federal investigation of Sacramento nonprofit (2024)

WEBVTT NEW DETAILS TONIGHT ON A SACRAMENTO NON-PROFIT THAT GAINED THE ATTENTION OF FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS. KCRA-3 INVESTIGATES FIRST TOLD YOU ABOUT THE COMPANY OFFERING IMMIGRANTS WITH WHAT IT SAID WAS A QUICK PATHWAY TO U.S. CITIZENSHIP. KELLIE: KCRA-3'S BRIAN HEAP JOINS US NOW WITH NEW DETAILS OF A FEDERAL INVESTIGATION. BRIAN, THIS NOW GOES BEYOND SACRAMENTO? BRIAN: IT'S NOW REACHED EIGHT OTHER STATES AND THREE OTHER COUNTRIES. IT WAS JUST TWO WEEKS AGO, WE WERE OUTSIDE THE AMERICANS HELPING AMERICA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, AS INVESTIGATORS FROM THE FBI AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT SEIZED FILES AND COMPUTERS. IT ALL STEMS FROM AN ADULT ADOPTION PROGRAM THAT CLAIMS TO ALLOW ADULTS TO BECOME U.S. CITIZENS. IT' >> I THINK WHAT ATTRACTED THE ATTENTION OF EVERYONE IN GENERAL IS THE IDEA OF FAMILY, THIS IDEA OF SECURITY, AND A SAFE SOLUTION. BRIAN IT WAS A STORY WE HEARD : OVER AND OVER AGAIN. >> I WAS ALMOST READY TO BE A CITIZEN. I DIDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE POLICE, ABOUT THE SOCIAL SECURITY. REPORTER: IMMIGRANTS TOLD THEY HAD HOPE OF A QUICK PATH TO CITIZENSHIP, FOR A PRICE. >> WE PLAYED ALMOST -- PAID A $12,000 FOR BOTH OF US. REPORTER: BY PAYING ANYWHERE FROM $5,000 TO $10,000 A PERSON, THESE PEOPLE WERE SAYING THEY WERE TOLD THEY COULD BECOME CITIZENS BY BEING ADOPTED BY ANOTHER ADULT. ALL THROUGH THE HELP OF THIS MAN . DR. HELAMAN HANSEN - FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN OF THE "AMERICANS HELPING AMERICA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE." -- BASED IN SACRAMENTO. IT IS A CLAIM THAT IMMIGRATION ATTORNEYS TOLD US WAS PATENTLY WRONG. TWO WEEKS AGO, WE WERE THERE WHEN FEDERAL AGENTS SERVED A SEARCH WARRANT FOR ALL HANSEN'S HIS COMPANY OFFICES AND HIS HOME. TAKING AWAY COMPUTERS, FILES, AND OTHER MATERIALS RELATING TO AHA'S ADULT ADOPTION PROGRAM. AT THE TIME HANSEN SAID HE , WELCOMED THE INVESTIGATION. WERE YOU SURPRISED WHEN THEY CAME TODAY? HANSEN: MAN, I WAS NOT EVEN SURPRISED. I WAS HAPPY. I WAS HAPPY, THANK YOU FOR COMING. BECAUSE WE NEED TO CLEAR OUR BUILDING. WE NEED TO CLEAR HOW WE STAND HERE. REPORTER: NOW WE HAVE A BETTER IDEA OF WHY THE AGENTS WERE THERE AND WHAT THEY WERE LOOKING FOR. THIS 75 PAGE AFFIDAVIT GIVEN TO KCRA3 BY THE FBI DETAILS A YEAR-LONG FEDERAL INVESTIGATION. THEY ARE LOOKING FOR EVIDENCE OF POSSIBLE MAIL FRAUD, WIRE FRAUD, AND CONSPIRACY TO DEFRAUD UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS. ACCORDING TO THE AFFIDAVIT, THE FBI BEGAN INVESTIGATING HANSEN AND HIS COMPANIES IN FEBRUARY OF LAST YEAR. THE COMPANY CLAIMS TO HAVE PEOPLE WORKING ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY -- NEVADA HAWAII, UTAH, , OREGON, WASHINGTON , NEW YORK, MINNESOTA AND HERE IN CALIFORNIA. THEY ALSO CLAIM TO HAVE REPRESENTATIVES IN TONGA AND FIJI. THE DOCUMENT QUOTES ALLEGED VICTIMS AND FORMER EMPLOYEES. IT ALSO DETAILS OTHER INVESTIGATIONS. THE AFFIDAVIT STATES THAT A MINNESOTA JUDGE RULED THEY HAD VIOLATED MINNESOTA LAW BY GIVING LEGAL ADVICE AND PREPARING LEGAL DOCUMENTS WITHOUT BEING A LICENSED ATTORNEY. [NOTES:SHOW DOC SECTION OF AN ALAMEDA COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S INVESTIGATION FOUND ADULT ADOPTION APPLICATIONS INVOLVING HANSEN'S COMPANY USED FALSE ADDRESSES. ANALYSIS OF EIGHT DIFFERENT RANK ACCOUNTS WITH HUNDREDS OF DEPOSITS AND HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS CHANGING HANDS. >> I AM WAITING FOR THEM. REPORTER: WE CAUGHT UP WITH HIM AGAIN TODAY AND WANTED TO ASK HIM ABOUT THE CLAIMS IN THE AFFIDAVIT. >> THE FBI DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING. BECAUSE WHEN I WAS SITTING THERE, THEY WERE TRYING TO TELL ME THIS AND THIS. I JUST LISTENED. IT WAS ALL FALSE. REPORTER: HE CLAIMS THE FBI WHO , HAD THIS SEARCH AND SEIZURE WARRANT, HAD NO RIGHT TO TAKE ANY OF THE MATERIALS IN HIS OFFICE BECAUSE IT WAS PROTECTED BY THE COURTS. BUT WHEN WE PRESSED HIM ABOUT THE COURT DOCUMENTS -- >> I WROTE THIS OUT IN A LETTER GOES TO THE UNITED NATIONS FOR AMERICA VIOLATING MOST OF THE LAW OF THE ADOPTION. AND I'M SAY THAT, IN AMERICA, YOU ARE SO STUPID, YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THE ADOPTION LAW. REPORTER: HE POINTS OUT NEW HE NOR ANY OF HIS COMPANIES HAVE BEEN CHARGED OR CONVICTED OF ANYTHING AND HE IS STILL OPERATING OUT OF THE SACRAMENTO OFFICES. THE FBI TOOK EVERYTHING FROM COMPUTERS, TO FLASH DRIVES AND PAPER DOCUMENTS. ALL OF IT IS BEING ANALYZED BY COMPUTER FORENSIC TEAMS ACCORDING TO THE AFFIDAVIT. EDIE: HE SEEMS VERY CONFIDENT. IF THEY ARE STILL OPERATING, ARE THEY WORKING ON ADOPTIONS? REPORTER: THEY ARE STILL PENDING. THE FBI FILING SAYS SACRAMENTO COUNTY WILL NOT TAKE ANY MORE ADOPTIONS SPONSORED BY A'S -- 888. IT ALSO SAYS AN ALAMEDA COUNTY JUDGE HAS REVOKED AT LEAST TWO ADOPTIONS BECAUSE HE FOUND THAT FALSE ADDRESSES WERE PLACED ON THE APPLICATIONS. ADULT ADOPTION IS LEGAL AND WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THAT. IT IS USED FOR THINGS LIKE STATE