Manhattan prosecutors have filed an indictment against a man who allegedly posed as an immigration attorney to scam people out of thousands of dollars in fees.
Pablo Israel Ortega Cuenca, 33, faces two counts of Immigration Assistance Services in the first degree, two counts of Grand Larceny in the third degree and one count of scheme to defraud in the first degree.
According to District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Ortega Cuenca took advantage of several immigrants who entrusted him with money and information to help them with their immigration procedures.
“As alleged, New Yorkers seeking to become permanent residents trusted Pablo Israel Ortega Cuenca to provide them with legal services, and he violated that trust by taking advantage of them and putting them at risk of deportation,” said Prosecutor Bragg.
According to the file, Ortega Cuenca defrauded several clients from February 2017 to at least October 2019.
They claim that the alleged lawyer obtained $11,000 in fees
Prosecutors reported that in at least one case, Ortega Cuenca advised a person to submit a meritless asylum application.
In other cases he did not even submit applications or communicate court appearance dates to those who hired him.
The subject is accused by two people of making them believe that he was a lawyer or presenting himself as a lawyer for the organization Center for Migration Studies, an employee of the Spanish Consulate or an immigration official.
The alleged attorney reportedly received more than $11,000 in legal fees from several people.
The prosecution believes that there are more people who suffered fraud by the accused, which is why it made available the Immigrant Affairs Unit hotline: 212-335-3600 and WhatsApp 347-371-0877.
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2024-01-12 11:29:00
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