NEW YORK, (CMC) – A former immigration attorney has been sentenced to 70 months imprisonment for a “large-scale” immigration fraud on Caribbean and other immigrants.

Matthew Podolsky, acting United States attorney for the Southern District of New York, said that 70-year-old Kofi Amankwaa was sentenced for immigration fraud in connection with his supervision of a multi-year scheme to file fraudulent immigration documents under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).

Podolsky said Amankwaa pled guilty before US District Judge Katherine Polk Failla, who imposed the sentence.

“Kofi Amankwaa, a former immigration attorney, made a mockery of the US immigration system and VAWA — a law that provides noncitizen victims of domestic abuse a path to lawful permanent residence status — by filing thousands of immigration documents falsely alleging that his clients were victims of abuse by their children or other family members,” Podolsky said.

“Amankwaa repeatedly filed these false applications without telling his clients that he was doing so and pocketed thousands of dollars from each client he victimised,” he said, adding “Amankwaa now faces a significant prison sentence for his crimes.”

The court heard that from September 2016 through to November 2023, Amankwaa and others at his direction, met with clients and instructed them to sign fraudulent Form I-360 VAWA Petitions, falsely stating that the clients were abused by their US citizen children.

Podolsky said Amankwaa also signed the petitions, under penalty of perjury, as the attorney preparer.

He said Amankwaa used the filing of the fraudulent Form I-360 VAWA Petitions, among other filings, as a basis to request for his clients advance parole travel documents — documents that enable individuals without legal status in the US to travel abroad temporarily and return.

Podolsky said Amankwaa then directed his clients, upon obtaining the advance parole travel documents, to travel abroad and return to the US.

In addition, Amankwaa is accused of using the fraudulently procured advance parole as a basis for his clients to apply for lawful permanent resident status.

“Amankwaa carried out this illegal scheme knowing that his clients had not, in fact, been abused by their children or without asking whether any such abuse occurred,” the acting United States attorney said.

“Moreover, Amankwaa was often unsuccessful in obtaining lawful permanent resident status for his clients because the clients’ immigration applications were denied on the basis of fraud, among other reasons,” the attorney added.

He said Amankwaa typically charged his clients between US$3,000 and US$6,000 for his services, plus administrative fees.

In November 2023, following numerous complaints by clients, Podolsky said Amankwaa’s licence to practice law in the State of New York was suspended, and, in August 2024, Amankwaa was disbarred.

In addition to the prison term, Podolsky said Amankwaa was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit US$13.3 million

As part of his plea agreement, Podolsky said Amankwaa has also agreed to pay US$16.5 million in restitution to his victims.