Arizona Man Indicted for Impersonating an FBI Agent in Order to Defraud a Stanislaus County Couple

FRESNO, Calif. — A four-count indictment was unsealed Tuesday charging Ivan Isho, 41, of Phoenix, Arizona, with wire fraud, impersonation of a federal officer, and cyberstalking, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, between September 2016 and April 2017, Isho claimed to be a special agent with the FBI to a couple living in Ceres. He claimed that as an FBI agent he could help the couple acquire visas for three family members living overseas. Although they paid him over $6,700 to facilitate the visa process, no visas have issued, and Isho has returned none of the money.

The indictment alleges that between April 2016 and April 2018, Isho harassed and intimidated another victim using the telephone, internet, and internet-based social media platforms in a manner likely to cause substantial emotional distress to this victim.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura D. Withers is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Isho faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.