EDINBURG, Texas —
A San Juan man accused of scamming multiple victims with false promises of fixing their immigration status is also facing aggravated robbery charges after allegedly robbing a money services business near the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Francisco Javier Villanueva was arrested Jan. 11 and booked on three counts of aggravated robbery and one count of evading arrest, stemming from a convenience store robbery that allegedly occurred days earlier. He has since been charged with seven counts of theft of property related to an ongoing fraud investigation.
According to a probable cause affidavit, the theft investigation began Nov. 6 when Hidalgo County sheriff’s deputies met with a pastor in Edinburg. The pastor said he was introduced in November 2024 to a man who identified himself as Alfredo Villanueva, later confirmed to be Francisco Villanueva.
Villanueva allegedly claimed he worked for an immigration judge and could help the pastor and others fix their legal residency status and obtain U.S. citizenship. Investigators said Villanueva charged the pastor $1,000 to begin the process and continued collecting monthly cash payments until the total reached $8,500, with the final payment made in May 2025.
Soon after, Villanueva stopped responding to messages. The pastor later discovered that Villanueva had allegedly used the same scheme on other church members, including his sister and niece.
Authorities said Villanueva used the same method with at least four additional victims from Donna, all while falsely claiming to have connections to an immigration judge. In total, investigators estimate the alleged scam netted approximately $57,000.
Separate court documents allege that days before his arrest, Villanueva robbed a Xoom money services location at 1402 East University Drive in Edinburg. At approximately 12:30 p.m. on Jan. 9, Villanueva allegedly pointed a gun at a female employee and a customer, demanding cash and the key to the ATM.
The store manager, Maria Espinoza, told police she complied after fearing for her life. She reported that a second suspect acted as a lookout outside the business during the robbery. Investigators said $7,784 was taken from the store.
Through a joint investigation, law enforcement identified Villanueva as the suspect. He was later stopped by Edinburg police near South I-69C and Trenton Road. Police said Villanueva attempted to flee on foot before being captured and arrested.
Villanueva remains held at the Hidalgo County Adult Detention Center on $425,000 bond.
