What you should know
- Hundreds of immigrants were victims of lawyers from a Bronx office who made them pay thousands of dollars for fraudulent services that caused many to be deported or have their residency applications denied.
- This was announced by the Attorney General of New York, Letitia James, to the file a lawsuit on Monday against the alleged scammers, Kofi Amankwaa, a Bronx immigration attorney, and others in his office, Sylvester Boateng, Nana Adoma Kontoh, Betty Smith and Kofi Amankwaa, Jr.
- These petitions were filed under the Violence Against Women Act, which allows victims of abuse by a U.S.-born child over the age of 21 to apply for legal permanent residency. As a result of his illegal actions, several of his clients were deported while others were denied their green cards.
NEW YORK — Hundreds of immigrants were victims of lawyers from a Bronx office who made them pay thousands of dollars for fraudulent services that caused many to be deported or have their residency applications denied.
This was announced by the Attorney General of New York, Letitia James, to the file a lawsuit on Monday against the alleged scammers, Kofi Amankwaa, a Bronx immigration attorney, and others in his office, Sylvester Boateng, Nana Adoma Kontoh, Betty Smith and Kofi Amankwaa, Jr.
“People who immigrate to the United States are often vulnerable and simply trying to build a better life for themselves and their loved ones,” said Attorney General James. “When these immigrants sought help from attorneys who claimed to act in their best interests, they were instead taken advantage of and harmed. This cruel and illegal plan led to them being separated from their families and deported. I thank Assemblywoman Cruz for bringing this issue to light and for her tireless work to protect our most vulnerable communities. “I will not tolerate scammers who prey on the vulnerable and take advantage of people who ask for help.”
According to Prosecutor James’ lawsuit, from 2018 to 2023, Amankwaa and the other defendants charged immigrant clients thousands of dollars to file paperwork on their behalf to obtain green cards for their clients. Unbeknownst to their clients, Amankwaa and the other defendants were also illegally filing separate petitions falsely claiming that their children were abusing them, the report added.
These petitions were filed under the Violence Against Women Act, which allows victims of abuse by a U.S.-born child over the age of 21 to apply for legal permanent residency. As a result of his illegal actions, several of his clients were deported while others were denied their green cards.
With this lawsuit, the Democrat seeks an order to immediately stop Amankwaa and the defendants’ illegal scheme, and force them to pay restitution and damages to affected clients, in addition to civil penalties to the state.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York filed Monday a parallel criminal actioncharging and arresting Mr. Amankwaa and Kofi Amankwaa, Jr. for carrying out a large-scale immigration fraud scheme.
“Hundreds of undocumented New York workers sought help from attorney Kofi Amankwaa to regularize their status. Mr. Amankwaa charged them thousands of dollars and engaged in unethical and unconscionable conduct that led to the deportation of many of them,” said Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz. “These families simply wanted the American dream and trusted Mr. Amankwaa as their attorney; Instead, he committed the most depraved violations and his actions led to the forced separation of his families. After several of his victims approached our office for help, we immediately referred the case to the Attorney General’s Office, while we continue to support their families. I thank Attorney General James and his team for holding this immigration scammer accountable. I hope justice is done.”
How they deceived immigrants
An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) revealed that Amankwaa and the others who worked in his office knowingly and repeatedly filed false petitions on behalf of their clients. These petitions identified each client as the parent of an abused U.S. citizen, which would allow the client to apply for a green card. However, Amankwaa and the others did not inform their clients that they were doing this and refused to provide them with copies of the documents presented. As a result, clients were unaware that attorneys were falsely accusing their children of abuse on their behalf. Amankwaa also falsely told his clients that they could safely leave and return to the United States and instructed his clients to lie on their petitions and to immigration officials about having been abused, although none of them ultimately did so. In November 2023, Amankwaa’s law license was suspended after he failed to respond to nine separate complaints alleging that he had filed fraudulent immigration applications on behalf of his clients.
Additionally, Kontoh falsely claimed to be a lawyer while acting as an immigrant assistance services provider, illegally providing legal advice and deceiving his immigrant clients. He illegally encouraged his clients to lie to immigration officials, failed to provide them with written contracts or copies of documents filed with the government, and failed to post signs informing clients that she was not an attorney. The lawsuit also alleges that Amankwaa, Jr. also violated the law by providing legal advice, even though he is not authorized to practice law in New York.
As a result of the actions of Amankwaa and the others, several of their clients were deported, including Ricardo Velázquez, a father of four from the Bronx who had lived in the United States for more than 20 years. Amankwaa falsely told Velázquez that he needed to leave the United States and re-enter to proceed with his application for lawful permanent residence. When he attempted to return to the United States after visiting Mexico, he was detained by immigration authorities and ultimately deported. Velázquez’s family later learned that Amankwaa had filed false petitions claiming that Velázquez’s son had abused his parents, which led to his father’s deportation. In another case, Amankwaa ordered a woman to lie to immigration authorities and claim that her daughter was abusing her. When the woman refused to lie in an interview, immigration officials denied her application for lawful permanent residence and began deportation proceedings.
Other clients paid thousands of dollars for immigration services that were never provided. In one case, a father of two paid Kontoh more than $4,000 for travel documents allowing him to legally visit Honduras and return to the United States. Instead, Kontoh secretly filed a fraudulent petition claiming that the father was a victim of his abusive children.
What is sought with the demand
With this lawsuit, Attorney General James alleges that Amankwaa and others working in his office exhibited a pattern of repeated and persistent fraudulent and illegal conduct in violation of Executive Law 63(12), the New York General Business Law, and the Judicial Law. Attorney General James seeks an order to prevent Amankwaa and his colleagues from continuing their illegal scheme and conducting a full accounting of every transaction with their clients so they can pay full restitution and damages to their clients, as well as pay civil penalties. to the state.
How to report if I have been a victim of an immigration scam
Anyone who believes they may have been a victim of fraud is encouraged to file complaints by completing a complaint form or by calling 1-800-771-7755. Any identifying information provided to the office will be protected in accordance with state law and policies regarding the safeguarding of identifying information.
How to Check If a Lawyer is Licensed and His Immigration History
Before requesting the advice of an immigration lawyer, first verify that they are accredited and thoroughly review their history, as it depends on this that your case will not be affected in the future. Here all the information on how to do it.
2024-01-22 22:08:17
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