US immigration lawyer arrested for defrauding Caribbean immigrants

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services has arrested NY-based immigrant lawyer Gnoleba Seri for fraud and identity theft, particularly affecting Caribbean immigrants. Seri was charged for stealing personal information from legitimate immigration sponsors for other fraudulent visa applications.

Acting Special-Agent-in-Charge of the New York Office of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Glenn Sorge, said that Seri allegedly “abused the special trust bestowed upon him as an immigration attorney to commit fraud and identity theft.

Seri faces possible jail time if charged with one count of visa fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; one count of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory consecutive minimum sentence of two years in prison; and one count of mail fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

USCIS said the maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by the US Congress and is provided for informational purposes, “as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.”