Attorney General Letitia James on Jan. 22 announced charges against Bronx immigration lawyer Kofi Amankwaa, who allegedly scammed clients out of thousands of dollars from 2016 to 2023, causing some to have their green cards denied and several others to be deported.
Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced a parallel criminal case against Amankwaa and associates for their “large-scale immigration fraud scheme.”
The lawsuits allege that Amankwaa and others in his office at 881 Gerard Ave. illegally filed thousands of petitions under the Violence Against Women Act that falsely accused clients’ children of abuse against the parents, which, under the law, would expedite the parents’ application for lawful residency.
According to James’ office, clients were not informed of these petitions and refused to go along with the lie when questioned by immigration authorities, which, in some cases, led to their deportation.
In addition to these false claims, staff in Amankwaa’s office allegedly provided advice that they were not qualified to give. Nana Adoma Kontoh and Kofi Amankwaa, Jr., are not licensed attorneys but misrepresented themselves to clients as such, according to the attorney general.
Accusations against Amankwaa began to come to light last year, and the local immigration news site Documented interviewed some families impacted by the scam. In November 2023, Amankwaa’s law license was suspended.
In the statement announcing the criminal charges, Williams said that Amankwaa and Amankwaa, Jr. “sought to make a mockery of the U.S. immigration system.”
“Amankwaa and his son allegedly exploited the Violence Against Women Act — a law that allows non-citizen victims of domestic abuse a path to lawful permanent residence status — for their own financial gain by falsely claiming that their clients were victims of domestic abuse,” said Williams.
“People who immigrate to America are often vulnerable,” said James in a statement, calling the scheme “cruel and illegal.”
According to James’ office, one of those deported was Ricardo Velazquez of the Bronx, who lived in the U.S. for more than 20 years.
Unbeknownst to Velazquez, Amankwaa allegedly filed a false petition stating that Velazquez’s son was abusive, causing the father to be deported after attempting to return to the U.S. from Mexico. He had traveled to Mexico because Amankwaa falsely told him he had to leave and re-enter the U.S. in order to proceed with a green card application, according to the attorney general’s office.
James is seeking civil penalties yet to be determined against Amankwaa and associates, along with full restitution to the impacted families.
Amankwaa and his son also face prison sentences if found guilty in the criminal case — up to five years each for conspiracy to defraud the United States and to commit immigration fraud, and up to 10 years each for immigration fraud.
The attorney general’s office encourages anyone who believes they may be a victim of fraud to fill out an online complaint form or call 800-771-7755.
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
