A lawyer, his son and his immigration firm are accused of running a massive immigration fraud scheme from the Bronx: Revealing How They Operated and How Much They Charged

An immigration lawyer was arrested along with his son in the Bronx as he and his entire firm were accused of defrauding his clients for years.

Kofi Amankwaa He is said to have amassed a fortune with this method, they reported on Tuesday, January 23, 2024, in the Al Rojo Vivo program.

They added that federal authorities say the attorneys falsely claimed their clients had suffered domestic violence to obtain their legal status.

Amankwaa is said to be “the leader” of a group dedicated to defrauding immigrants. The accusation was made by the New York Attorney General’s office.

According to the indictment, “Attorney Amankwaa, his son – of the same name – and three other attorneys in his office are responsible for a massive immigration fraud that occurred in the Bronx between 2018 and 2023.”

“We want them to criminally pay all the money they stole from hundreds of customers,” one man told journalist Alfredo Acosta while reporting for the program Al Rojo Vivo.

They charged each person up to $3,000 for “fraudulent services.” In Univisión they published: The Public Prosecution Service said that the defendants “normally charged their clients $6,000 for their services, plus administrative fees.”

As a result, several people will be denied their legal residence (green card). Others were deported from the United States.

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The lawyers handled thousands of files.

“As alleged, Kofi Amankwaa, an immigration attorney, and his son, Kofi Amankwaa, Jr., attempted to circumvent the United States immigration system by conspiring to defraud the United States and to commit immigration fraud,” the U.S. attorney said . aired on Univision.

Domestic violence, false arguments

Amankwaa and her son allegedly exploited the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which allows non-citizen (undocumented) victims of domestic violence to obtain green card status, for their own financial benefit. abuse.”

To ensure that they receive the documents, he named me, the eldest, as my parents’ abuser and that was not what we agreed with Mr. Amankwaa.

Ricardo, stricken, in Al Rojo Vivo

Univision noted that “Amankwaa and Amankwaa, Jr. from September 2016 to November 2023, met with clients and instructed them to sign fraudulent Form I-360 petitions for the Violence Against Women Act (“VAWA”).

In this form, they reported in Univisión, “they falsely stated that the clients had been abused by their children with US citizens,” the accusations add.

“Amankwaa also signed the petitions, under penalty of perjury, while the lawyer prepared the documents to be sent to the immigration department.

Criminals disguise themselves as immigration lawyers and judges to defraud immigrants in the United States

The lawyer and his son pleaded not guilty

The warning, according to the Al Rojo Vivo report, was issued by MP Catalina Cruz, who “estimates the theft from our families at more than $20 million.”

He criticized that “licensed lawyers” were taking advantage of the needs of many immigrant families “to file applications, make promises and steal their money.”

In Al Rojo Vivo they pointed out that the passports of the lawyers involved in this scandal were revoked by order of a federal judge. He also imposed a financial guarantee of $240,000 on the father and $100,000 on the son.

Kofi Amankwaa (69) and his son, Kofi Amankwaa, Jr. (37), residing in New Jersey, “are each charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to commit immigration fraud.”

According to Univision, this carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and one count of immigration fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

The Amankwaas pleaded not guilty when informed of the charges. (JO)