Former TX aide charged with bilking Columbians

HOUSTON (AP) — Authorities say a 44-year-old former legal aide is accused of bilking more than $100,000 from 25 Colombian immigrants and their relatives.

Colombian native Maria Jose Hurtado was arrested Monday by Harris County Sheriff’s officers in Katy after allegedly posing as an employee of the consul general of Colombia in Houston. The Houston Chronicle reports she’s charged with aggregate theft for offering everything from green cards to citizenship to immigrants but never providing the services.

Hurtado worked as a contractor for the consulate for 13 years but was fired in 2008 after a separate accusation of charging Colombians fees for her services at the office.

Online records for the Harris County Jail where she’s being held on a $120,000 bond didn’t indicate whether she had an attorney.
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Information from: Houston Chronicle, http://www.houstonchronicle.com