Immigration attorney Gnoleba Seri was arrested in Brooklyn, NY, on January 14 on charges of immigration fraud and aggravated identity theft for forging Forms I-864, Affidavits of Support.
According to a press release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the complaint filed in Manhattan federal court:
Seri submitted falsified and forged I-864 Forms (affidavits of support for those seeking immigrant visas) in support of his clients’ applications for immigration visas and for legal permanent resident status. Specifically, Seri received legitimate I-864 Forms, tax information, pay stubs, and W-2 forms from individuals sponsoring his clients, and then fraudulently submitted these documents in applications for other clients. That is, Seri submitted I-846 [sic] Forms that listed individuals as financial sponsors who had never met the people they were purportedly agreeing to sponsor. Those I-846 [sic] Forms included the sponsors’ real names, identifying information, and financial information, as well as forged signatures.
The complaint asserts there are “at least 16 confirmed victims” of Seri’s scheme to arrange joint sponsors for his clients.
Seri is not listed as a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.
USA v. Seri is case # 1:16-mj-00044-UA in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. As the press release mentions, the allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
For more on Forms I-864, Affidavits of Support, see the Help Center.
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