Quiboloy co-defendant sentenced in immigration fraud case — US DOJ
Maria De Leon has been sentenced to time already served after admitting she participated in an immigration fraud scheme
LOS ANGELES — Maria De Leon, co-defendant of Apollo Quiboloy, was sentenced to time already served after admitting she participated in an immigration fraud scheme that benefited members of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC), according to the US Department of Justice.
The 77-year-old Koreatown resident received her sentence on Tuesday after entering a guilty plea in 2022 to one count of conspiracy regarding immigration fraud.
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Court records show she spent about four months in custody after her arrest in 2021 before being released on bond, with the court crediting that time toward her sentence. She was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment.
Sham marriages
De Leon owned Liberty Legal Document Services and admitted participating in a scheme to prepare and file fraudulent immigration documents for KOJC members seeking lawful permanent residency and, in some cases, US citizenship.
According to her plea agreement, De Leon knowingly filed immigration petitions based on sham marriages arranged to help church members remain in the United States. She acknowledged submitting fraudulent family-based immigration petitions despite knowing the marriages were not legitimate.
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Reduced sentence
Federal prosecutors sought a reduced sentence, telling the court that De Leon provided “substantial assistance” after agreeing to cooperate with the government’s investigation.
Her cooperation helped prosecutors build cases against other defendants connected to the church.
De Leon was among nine defendants named in a 42-count indictment unsealed in November 2021 alleging a labor trafficking and immigration fraud scheme involving KOJC, a religious organization founded by Apollo Quiboloy, a spiritual adviser and close friend of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Prosecutors alleged the organization fraudulently obtained visas to bring church members to the United States, where they were forced to solicit donations for the Glendale-based Children’s Joy Foundation, which authorities described as a bogus charity.
According to the indictment, the proceeds funded church operations and the lavish lifestyles of its leaders.
Sex trafficking
Members who excelled at fundraising were allegedly directed to enter sham marriages or obtain fraudulent student visas so they could remain in the country and continue soliciting donations.
The indictment also alleges a sex trafficking conspiracy involving KOJC founder Apollo Quiboloy, who proclaimed himself the “Appointed Son of God.”
Quiboloy, 76, remains the subject of US federal charges and was arrested in the Philippines in 2024 on separate allegations of human trafficking and sexual abuse.
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