Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon, 41, was charged on Thursday with conspiracy and making false statements to federal officers

Calderon, 41, is an illegal immigrant from Mexico living in Los Angeles

She’s charged after her family claimed she was ambushed by armed men in two unmarked trucks at a Jack in the Box parking lot in the downtown LA area on June 30 

Seeming distraught, Calderon’s family held a press conference with supporters holding signs saying, ‘our mom is missing,’ ‘stop the abduction,’ and ‘where is Yuli?’

Having gained public and media attention, the family then created a GoFundMe page, since deleted, asking for $4,500 in crowd funding

Department of Homeland Security denied claims Calderon was abducted, launched an investigation into the ‘kidnapping,’ and spent days looking for Calderon

ICE agents who had been searching ‘detention cell to detention cell,’ found the missing woman in a shopping plaza parking lot in Bakersfield on July 5

Agents said when confronted with the claims, she continued to insist that she had been kidnapped and held ‘with others’

Calderon faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison if convicted for each charge

DOJ indicated that additional individuals involved could also face charges

Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon, [photo], has been charged with conspiracy and making false statements to federal officers after allegedly faking her own kidnapping by ICE agents. She faces up to five years in jail 

A California woman faked her own abduction by ICE agents as part of a scheme to collect donations on GoFundMe, the Department of Justice said.
Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon, 41, was charged on Thursday with conspiracy and making false statements to federal officers.
For perspective Calderon, an illegal immigrant from Mexico living in Los Angeles, claimed she was ambushed by armed men in two unmarked trucks at a Jack in the Box parking lot in the downtown LA area. The allegations come at a time of intensified raids by agents of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement [ICE], taken into custody undocumented migrants in record numbers around the nation and has generated flammable political rhetoric on both sides of the debate.

Family members and attorneys at a a press conference on June 30, claimed their mom, Yuriana Calderon, was brought to the San Ysidro district of San Diego, close to the Mexico border – DOJ has indicated that additional individuals involved could also face charges

Members of the allegedly kidnapped woman’s family along with their attorneys held a press conference on June 30, where they claimed Calderon was brought to San Ysidro, a district of San Diego close to the US-Mexico border. 
Her relatives alleged that she was then, ‘presented to [a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement] staffer’ and, ‘presented with voluntary self–deportation paperwork,’ according to officials.
The family’s attorney said Calderon refused to sign the paperwork, and was then ‘punished’ by being held in a warehouse, a report from the US Attorney’s Office, Central District of California detailed. 
Videos of the press conference show supporters of Calderon holding signs saying, ‘our mom is missing,’ ‘stop the abduction,’ and ‘where is Yuli?’
Following attention from the media, the family then created a GoFundMe page where they asked for $4,500. The crowd funding page has since been deleted – having raised $80.

Following attention from the media, the family then created a GoFundMe page, where they asked for $4,500 – since been deleted – after raising only $80

On the heels of those allegations, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has stepped in with vehement denials of the claims that the Yuri Calderon was abducted by authorities.
DHS launched an investigation into the alleged ‘kidnapping,’ agents reportedly spent days searching for Calderon, with ICE agents searching ‘detention cell to detention cell,’ officials said. 
Then agents announced that they found the ‘kidnapped woman’ in a shopping plaza parking lot in Bakersfield on July 5. Confronted with claims, Calderon allegedly continued to insist that she had been kidnapped and held ‘with others’.
Agents retrieved video footage of the Jack in the Box parking lot purportedly the day Calderon claimed she was whisked away by masked men. It showed her leaving the lot and getting into a sedan, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Furthermore, according to officials, phone records also show the abduction to be a hoax.

According to US officials, Yuri Calderon’s family in their viral protest video claimed that ‘she was presented to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’ and ‘presented with voluntary self–deportation paperwork’

Calderon’s apparently family has tried to keep up the ruse even after she was discovered.
They allegedly fabricated pictures of her ‘rescue’ to make it seem as though ICE agents abused her, according to officials. 
On July 6, the family planned to host another press conference and increase the donation request, but then their plan was foiled by the DHS.
Then came the announcement from DHS: ‘Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon was never arrested or kidnapped by ICE or bounty hunters. This criminal illegal alien scammed innocent Americans for money and diverted limited DHS resources from removing the worst of the worst from Los Angeles communities.      
‘Calderon will now face justice and the media and politicians who swallowed and pushed this garbage should be embarrassed,’ the agency added. 

Hoax buster: Surveillance footage of the Jack in the Box parking lot shows Calderon getting into a sedan and leaving the lot. DOJ said debunks her claim of abduction by armed men. Phone records reportedly, also show the abduction to be a hoax

US Attorney Bill Essayli also released a statement on the matter, saying: ‘Dangerous rhetoric that ICE agents are “kidnapping” illegal immigrants is being recklessly peddled by politicians and echoed in the media to inflame the public and discredit our courageous federal agents.’
Calderon now faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison if convicted for each charge.
The DOJ indicated that additional individuals involved could also face charges.
According to a statement provided by GoFundMe the organizers of the campaign will not have access to the $80 their page raised in donations. Those donations have been returned and the account shut down.