Kofi Amankwaa, a former Bronx attorney accused of filing years’ worth of fraudulent immigration papers under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), pleaded guilty to one count of immigration fraud on Sept. 17. Amankwaa, 70, faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
“Today’s guilty plea highlights this office’s dedication to holding accountable those who abuse the trust placed in them as attorneys and fraudulently use our immigration system as a tool for their own financial gain,” said Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York in announcing the plea.
Amankwaa, who had an office at 881 Gerard Ave., filed thousands of false immigration documents between Sept. 2016 and Nov. 2023 claiming clients were being abused by a family member, which could grant them a quicker path to citizenship under federal protections for victims of domestic violence. But the clients were not being abused and were unaware that their attorney filed these claims on their behalf.
Clients paid between $3,000 and $6,000 for the services of Amankwaa’s office — and many ended up worse off than they started. Some were even deported because the documents saying they were abused conflicted with what they told immigration authorities.
Amankwaa worked with his son, Kofi Amankwaa Jr., and other staff — some of whom presented themselves to clients as attorneys despite not being admitted to practice law in New York. In addition to the federal criminal case, the office of State Attorney General Letitia James sued Amankwaa, Amankwaa Jr. and other staff in Bronx County Supreme Court. That case remains ongoing.
As part of the guilty plea in federal court, Amankwaa must forfeit $13.4 million and pay more than $16.5 million in restitution to victims.
The court asks anyone who believes they are the victim of fraud perpetrated by Amankwaa to contact USANYS.VAWAFraud@usdoj.gov.
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
