RAYMONDVILLE – A Rio Grande Valley attorney is at the center of a corruption case involving immigrants who crossed the border illegally.

According to federal court documents a licensed Texas attorney in the Rio Grande Valley paid money to co-conspirators in return for receiving detainee rosters.

Local immigration attorney Priscilla Niedzwiedz explains the practice is unethical.

"Maybe that attorney is coercing them into hiring him and they don't know any better, they are coming into this country not knowing who to trust and they are placing their trust and their life savings into this person and it's a big problem," says Niedzwiedz.

The indictment reveals the names of the alleged co-conspirators Benito Barrientez, Damian Ortiz and Exy Adelaida Gomez.

It also states the local attorney would pay them from $300 to $1,000 for rosters containing detainee’s names, birth dates, identification numbers, country of origin and other government information.

She tells us the unnamed attorney could face consequences such as losing their license or even jail time.

For more information watch the video above.