MAJOR Plot Twist In Hannah Kobayashi Case - She Was Involved In A Marriage Immigration Scam: REPORT

We were not expecting this MAJOR twist in the search for missing woman Hannah Kobayashi…

It’s been nearly a month now since the Hawaii resident failed to board her connecting flight from LA to New York and fell off the face of the earth. A lot has happened since then — several theories have popped up about her whereabouts, her father Ryan tragically died by suicide while searching for her, and her family has continued to advocate for her safe return. But on Tuesday, the LAPD’s investigation took a turn as Chief Jim McDonnell revealed she was spotted crossing the US-Mexico border on foot and “unharmed” in November — one day after her loved ones last heard from her. Lieutenant Douglas Oldfield noted there were “indications” on her social media that she wanted to “disconnect” from her phone prior to her disappearance, and McDonnell gave her missing status the new classification of “voluntary missing person.”

But one of the biggest glaring red flags that the LAPD couldn’t quite crack were the odd text messages she sent her loved ones prior to vanishing. If you don’t recall, she messaged a friend the day before going missing, telling them:

“Deep Hackers wiped my identity, stole all of my funds, & have had me on a mind f**k since Friday.”

A second text read:

“I got tricked pretty much into giving away all my funds. For someone I thought I loved.”

Bizarre, right?? Well, there’s a bombshell update in the case that possibly gives some context for exactly what she meant.

On Wednesday night, Los Angeles Magazine reported that the 30-year-old was possibly wrapped up in an immigration scam prior to her disappearance — which may have been designed by her ex. We previously reported that Hannah and the unnamed man broke up shortly before the trip they planned to New York. But despite said breakup, they still traveled together from Hawaii to LA, where Hannah missed their connecting flight. But what initially seemed like a party of two may have actually been a party of FOUR.

According to the outlet, Hannah’s mother Brandi Yee found evidence in her Hawaii home of immigration documents and an immigration attorney, who “was not cooperative.” So, she turned the docs over to the LAPD and the FBI, and they reportedly discovered that Hannah had a new husband, an Argentinian man named Alan Cacace, who has a girlfriend named Marianna. The pair were reportedly BOTH on the same flight as Hannah and her ex. And sources told the outlet that it’s believed Hannah was scammed out of the proceeds she was supposed to receive from the marriage visa scam.

Whoa… That would certainly explain her texts.

On Wednesday night, Sara Azari, the attorney representing the Kobayashi family, wouldn’t confirm the shady operation or Hannah’s alleged marriage, but said the following in a statement on X (Twitter):

“We want to stress that the family has not publicly announced any information regarding an alleged marriage because we did not have the facts or the necessary documents to verify the legitimacy of this information. The family has not confirmed the authenticity of the images or the accuracy of the information provided about a possible secret marriage. This is one of many leads we are actively investigating with the help of our attorney and investigative team. We would also like to confirm that we turned over the alleged information to law enforcement immediately upon receipt.

Further, while we appreciate Larie [Hannah’s aunt’s] efforts, she does not speak on behalf of our immediate family, which consists of Hannah’s mother, Brandi and her sister, Sydni. We remain focused on verifying the details and leads we have received, and ask for your understanding and patience as we continue our investigation.

We extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who has supported us during this incredibly difficult time. Your efforts, especially those of the volunteers and individuals who have gone above and beyond to help search for Hannah, mean the world to us.

Finally, we kindly ask everyone to avoid jumping to conclusions or spreading unverified claims. It is especially important not to perpetuate speculation that anyone is involved in a scam, as this only hinders our efforts to find Hannah and bring clarity and closure to the nightmare we are living because of her disappearance.”

Statement on Behalf of #HannahKobayashi's Family Re Alleged Marriage
We want to stress that the family has not publicly announced any information regarding an alleged marriage because we did not have the facts or the necessary documents to verify the legitimacy of this…

— Sara Azari (@azarilaw) December 5, 2024