Former Bronx Attorney Kofi Amankwaa sentenced to 70 months for large-scale Immigration fraud

A Bronx-based former immigration attorney with Ghanaian descent, Kofi Amankwaa, has been sentenced to 70 months in prison 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”). 

Kofi Amankwaa, 70, pled guilty on September 17 2024 before U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla, who imposed the sentence on Wednesday, February 26.

According to filings and public court proceedings, Amankwaa together with a group of workers filed thousands of fraudulent immigration applications (Form I-360 VAWA Petitions) for clients from September 2016 to November 2023, falsely stating that the clients were abused by their U.S. citizen children.

The United States Attorney’s Office reported that Amankwaa used these fraudulent applications among other filings, as a basis to request for advance parole travel documents for his clients.

The advance parole documents enable individuals without legal status in the U.S. to travel abroad temporarily and return.

After obtaining the advance parole travel documents for his clients, Amankwaa directed his clients to travel abroad and return to the U.S.

He then used these documents to apply for permanent residency, despite knowing that his clients had not actually been victims of abuse.

He used the fraudulently procured advance parole as a basis for his clients to apply for lawful permanent resident status.

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

Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky described Amankwaa’s action as a mockery of the US Immigration system.

“Kofi Amankwaa, a former immigration attorney, made a mockery of the U.S. 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.

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

US-based Ghanaian lawyer faces 15-year jail term for immigration fraud charges

Disbarment and Financial Penalties

Following numerous complaints by clients regarding the fraudulent abuse allegations, Amankwaa’s license to practice law in the State of New York was suspended in November 2023 and in August 2024, Amankwaa was disbarred.

In addition to the prison term, Amankwaa who lives in South River, New Jersey, was sentenced to three years of supervised release, and ordered to forfeit $13,389,000.

He has also agreed to pay $16,503,425 in restitution to his victims as part of his plea agreement.

Authorities have urged victims of Amankwaa’s fraud to contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at [email protected] for potential restitution.

The Newark Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations led the investigation, with support from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Office of Fraud Detection and National Security.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Z. Margulies, with the General Crimes Unit, prosecuted the case, assisted by Paralegal Specialist Samantha Roberts.

Mr. Podolsky praised the outstanding investigative work of the Newark Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations.  Mr. Podolsky also thanked the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Office of Fraud Detection and National Security for their support in this investigation.

Source: US Department of Justice

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