Former Bronx Attorney Kofi Amankwaa Sentenced to 70 Months for Immigration Fraud

Kofi Amankwaa, a former Bronx-based immigration attorney, has been sentenced to 70 months in prison for orchestrating a large-scale immigration fraud scheme. The sentencing, handed down by U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla, followed Amankwaa’s guilty plea in September 2024. His fraudulent activities involved exploiting the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) to file thousands of false immigration applications, leading to severe legal and financial consequences.

Amankwaa and his associates engaged in a multi-year scheme that involved submitting fraudulent immigration applications under VAWA. The act is intended to provide noncitizen victims of domestic abuse a legitimate path to lawful permanent residency. However, Amankwaa manipulated this provision by falsely claiming his clients were victims of abuse by their U.S. citizen children or family members—without the clients’ knowledge. He charged them between $3,000 and $6,000, along with additional administrative fees.

Through the fraudulent VAWA applications, Amankwaa secured advance parole travel documents for his clients, enabling them to travel abroad and re-enter the United States. He then leveraged these documents to apply for permanent residency, fully aware that his clients were not actual victims of abuse.

Amankwaa’s deceitful actions led to his law license suspension in November 2023 and eventual disbarment in August 2024. Besides his prison sentence, Amankwaa received a range of additional penalties, including:

• Three years of supervised release: Following his prison term, he will remain under close monitoring by authorities.
• Forfeiture of $13,389,000: Amankwaa must surrender this amount, believed to be proceeds from his fraudulent activities.
• Restitution of $16,503,425: He is required to repay the victims of his scheme, underscoring the financial damage caused by his actions.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office has urged victims of the fraud to come forward for potential restitution, demonstrating an ongoing effort to provide relief to those affected.

Crackdown on Immigration Fraud

The investigation was spearheaded by the Newark Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations, with additional support from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Office of Fraud Detection and National Security. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Z. Margulies, from the General Crimes Unit, led the prosecution with support from Paralegal Specialist Samantha Roberts.

Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky criticized Amankwaa’s abuse of the legal system, stating, “Kofi Amankwaa made a mockery of the U.S. immigration system and VAWA.” The stringent penalties highlight the U.S. government’s commitment to maintaining the integrity of immigration processes and preventing the exploitation of laws designed to protect vulnerable individuals.