Ex-federal agent sent to prison for immigration scheme

Detroit -- A former federal agent was sentenced Monday to three years in prison for his role in a pay-to-stay immigration scheme.

Clifton Divers, 49, of Detroit, a former special agent with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, pleaded guilty in January to bribery and fraud charges in U.S. District Court.

Divers admitted conspiring with Birmingham attorney Charles Busse between 2013 and 2015 to obtain deportation deferrals and other immigration benefits for the lawyer's clients. He could have been sentenced to as much as four years in prison.

Busse was sentenced to 37 months in prison in May after reaching a plea deal.

“No one is above the law, particularly law enforcement officers in whom we place our trust to maintain the highest standards of honesty, integrity, and professionalism. The citizens of Michigan have the right to expect nothing less,” U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider said in a statement.