NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — A former Bronx-based attorney was sentenced to 70 months in prison for immigration fraud following his supervision of a multi-year scheme to file fraudulent immigration documents, prosecutors announced Thursday.
According to documents, from September 2016 through November 2023, Kofi Amankwaa, 70, and others at his direction met with clients and instructed them to sign fraudulent Form I-360 Violence Against Women Act Petitions falsely stating that the clients were abused by their U.S. citizen children.
Amankwaa, of South River, New Jersey, also signed the petitions, under penalty of perjury, as the attorney preparer, according to Matthew Podolsky, acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York.
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 that enable individuals without legal status in the U.S. to travel abroad temporarily and return.
He then directed his clients, upon obtaining the advance parole travel documents, to travel abroad and return to the U.S. Amankwaa used the fraudulently procured advance parole as a basis for his clients to apply for lawful permanent resident status, prosecutors said.
Amankwaa carried out the illegal scheme knowing that his clients had not, in fact, been abused by their children or without asking whether any such abuse occurred.
According to officials, Amankwaa typically charged his clients between $3,000 and $6,000 for his services, plus administrative fees. He 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.
After 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.
Additionally, Amankwaa was sentenced to three years of supervised release, and ordered to forfeit $13,389,000.
As part of his plea agreement, Amankwaa has also agreed to pay $16,503,425 in restitution to his victims.
If you believe you or your family member is a victim of VAWA fraud who may be entitled to restitution from Amankwaa, please contact USANYS.VAWAFraud@usdoj.gov.