Kofi Amankwaa, a Ghanaian immigration lawyer based in New York is facing up to 15 years in jail for a massive immigration scam that led to losses to the state and to 1000s of unsuspecting clients.
The Bronx-based lawyer according to court papers available , ran an illegal scheme that scammed hundreds of vulnerable immigrants, leading to financial loss, deportations and denied Green Card applications.
Amankwaa, is facing charges along with his son Kofi Amankwaa Jr and his associates, Sylvester Boateng, Nana Adoma Kontoh, Betty Smith.
The defendants are accused of charging immigrant clients thousands of dollars for fraudulent services, claiming to secure Green Cards for them.
Simultaneously, the group submitted separate petitions under the Violence Against Women Act, falsely accusing the clients’ children of abuse to facilitate immigration applications.
The New York Post portal referenced court documents that showed that the New York State Attorney General was seeking up to 15 years in jail for the stated offences.
Kofi and his son, Kofi Amankwaa Jr., now face up to 15 years behind bars on conspiracy and immigration fraud charges after they are arraigned in federal court on Monday (January 22), a New York Post story read in part.
US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams said the father and son team “sought to make a mockery of the US immigration system.”
“Amankwaa and his son allegedly exploited the Violence Against Women Act — a law that allows noncitizen victims of domestic abuse a path to lawful permanent residence status — for their own financial gain,” Williams said in a statement.
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