SAN DIEGO - An El Cajon woman pleaded guilty today to charges she stole the identities of immigrants whom she promised to help stay in this country while tricking them into taking out loans to pay her.

Bemilda Asuncion "Linda" Ruiz, 38, will be sentenced to four years in prison and ordered to pay restitution of $598,996 on May 10.

In a hearing before Judge Timothy Walsh, she pleaded guilty to five counts of identity theft and admitted allegations that she committed the crimes while free on bail in another criminal case.

In that case, Ruiz pleaded guilty on Sept. 21, 2005, to five counts of grand theft after claiming she could resolve work-related immigration problems for her clients.

Ruiz preyed on non-English speakers, most of whom knew little about financial issues, said Deputy District Attorney Tricia Pummill.

Between June 2004 and last May, the defendant acquired personal information from her victims when she told them she could help get them "green" cards, prosecutors said.

Ruiz persuaded some of her victims to take out real estate loans at a El Cajon mortgage business and hand over the checks to her, according to authorities.

Ruiz, who once worked for an attorney who was disbarred, is not an attorney herself and is unqualified to do the work she promised, investigators said.

The defendant committed identity theft while free on bail in the immigration grand theft case, Pummill said. Ruiz was ordered to pay restitution of more than $55,000 in that case.

Three women who worked with Ruiz also pleaded guilty today.

Merlyn Diaz, 24, pleaded guilty to felony grand theft. The judge told her she would be put on probation and get no more than a year in jail when sentenced. Diaz will also have to pay $24,063 in restitution.

Reina Montoya, 29, pleaded guilty to two counts of identity theft, and the judge told her she faced the same sentence as Diaz. Sentencing is set for May 10.

Maria Dolores Hernandez, 32, pleaded guilty to filing a false report with a government agency and a misdemeanor charge of filing a false police report.

A fifth defendant, Alma Lacayo, 43, has a readiness conference scheduled for April 11.