Mineola resident Manuel Herrera was arrested on Dec. 18 and charged with Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree and Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree.

Herrera, who operates a business called the Image Group at 244 Mineola Boulevard, is accused of allegedly stealing money from three immigrant families by claiming to be an attorney who could file their applications with the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS).

According to the District Attorney's office Herrera told one couple who gave him $2,390 that he would file an application to obtain for them legal residence status with the INS on Dec. 20, 1996. In return Herrera gave them a receipt documenting the transaction.

After several months Herrera gave the couple a copy of four postal money orders supposedly made out to the INS and "documents" that were supposedly filed with the INS.

Through the Post Office the money orders were traced, not to the INS, but to payments for Herrera's credit card bill, a traffic ticket he had received in Mineola and other items.

Herrera, who is not an admitted attorney in the State of New York, did not file any papers with the INS, according to said agency. The "documents" he presented the couple were forged according to Public Information Officer for the District Attorney Ed Grilli.

Added Grilli, in a situation where an immigrant applies to become a legal resident of the United States, an attorney is not required.

Herrera allegedly told a second couple that he could obtain citizenship papers for at least one of them and in a third case he allegedly told the individual that he would represent him as a lawyer at an INS hearing.

After complaints from the immigrants, an investigation was conducted by the DA's Special Investigations Bureau and the Third Squad of the Nassau County Police Department.

Through his attorney, Glen Hardy, Herrera issued a "no comment."

The maximum sentence currently faced by Herrera is four years in prison. The investigation is ongoing.

"This is not the first time that a person has taken advantage of a population reluctant to cooperate with law enforcement for fear of deportation," said Grilli.

Grilli urges all immigrants facing similar situations to come forward as they will not be deported as victims. The Nassau DA's Special Investigation Bureau can be reached at 571-2100.