NEW YORK (1010 WINS/ WCBS 880 NEWS) – A man was indicted on Thursday for pretending to be an immigration attorney to various people and for stealing thousands of dollars in legal fees from them, according to prosecutors.
Pablo Israel Ortega Cuenca, 33, from February 2017 until at least October 2019, allegedly tricked clients by misrepresenting himself as an immigration attorney and lying to them about the fees required to file certain immigration applications, according to court documents.
In at least one case mentioned in court documents, he allegedly advised a client to submit a baseless asylum claim, and in other instances, he neglected to file applications or inform clients about their court dates.
Cuenca also allegedly falsely led at least two individuals to believe he was an immigration attorney, claiming to be either a lawyer with the Center for Migration Studies, an employee of the Spanish Consulate, or a government immigration official.
“As alleged, New Yorkers looking to become permanent residents trusted Pablo Israel Ortega Cuenca to provide them with legal services, and he broke that trust by taking advantage of them and putting them at risk of deportation,” said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr.
Cuenco received more than $11,000 in legal fees from multiple people, according to the indictment.
He is now being charged with immigrant assistance services, grand larceny and scheme to defraud.
“If you believe you or someone you know has been a victim of this type of fraud, we urge you to call our office’s Immigration Affairs Unit hotline at 212-335-3600 or via WhatsApp at 347-371-0877,” Braggs said. “Interpreters are available to assist non-native English speakers and we encourage all to reach out regardless of immigration status.”