Bronx Attorney Pleads Guilty in Massive Immigration Fraud Case

Bronx Immigration Attorney Kofi Amankwaa has pleaded guilty in connection to a major immigration scam.

At a Glance

Kofi Amankwaa, a former Bronx immigration attorney, pleaded guilty to large-scale immigration fraud.
The fraud involved filing fraudulent immigration documents under VAWA.
Amankwaa supervised the multi-year scheme from September 2016 to November 2023.
He agreed to forfeit $13,389,000 and pay $16,503,425 in restitution.
Amankwaa faces a possible sentence of 10 years behind bars.

Plea and Charges

Kofi Amankwaa, a Bronx-based immigration attorney, pleaded guilty to orchestrating a large-scale immigration fraud scheme. He admitted to filing thousands of fraudulent immigration applications by falsely claiming his clients were victims of abuse by their U.S. citizen children. The fraudulent filings were done under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which is intended to provide a path for noncitizen victims of domestic abuse to gain lawful permanent residence status.

Amankwaa supervised this scheme from September 2016 to November 2023. In addition to pleading guilty, the defendant agreed to forfeit $13,389,000 and hand over $16,503,425 in restitution. His law license was suspended in November 2023, and he was disbarred in August 2024. Currently, he is facing the possibility of spending up to 10 years in prison.

A former immigration attorney pleaded guilty to charges in a large-scale immigration fraud scheme. @HSINewark led the investigation in partnership with @USCIS and support from @NewYorkStateAG. #HSI is committed to protecting victims of fraud and abuse. https://t.co/sQTWGYSgLw

— HSI Newark (@HSINewark) September 17, 2024

The Scheme and Victimization

Amankwaa charged his clients up to $6,000 for fraudulent services. By coaching migrants to falsely claim they were victims of domestic abuse, he exploited a loophole in the immigration system. The attorney used these fraudulent abuse claims to request advance parole travel documents and apply for lawful permanent resident status on behalf of his clients, many of whose applications were eventually rejected.

“Kofi Amankwaa’s victimization of clients during their immigration process is a serious violation of trust and our nation’s laws,” HSI Newark acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas stated. “Thanks to our partnership with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the support of the New York State Attorney General’s Office, justice was served in this case.”

Amankwaa’s scheme also affected his staff, some of whom are under investigation. His son, Kofi Amankwaa Jr., has a pending federal case on similar charges. The office of State Attorney General Letitia James has an ongoing lawsuit against Amankwaa, his son, and additional staff members in Bronx County Supreme Court.

Justice and Accountability

The case was investigated by the Newark Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations and supported by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Office of Fraud Detection and National Security. The prosecution was handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Z. Margulies in charge.

Victims of Amankwaa’s fraud are encouraged to contact [email protected] for assistance.