US immigration attorney charged with asylum fraud
NEW YORK, United States (CMC) — United States police have charged a New York-based immigration attorney with asylum fraud after she allegedly submitted fraudulent forms for more than 180 clients.
According to US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Geoffrey S Berman, Andreea Dumitru, 42, also known as “Andreea Dumitru Parcalaboiu,” was charged with making false statements.
The case has been assigned to US District Court Judge Lewis A Kaplan.
“She now faces prison time for her alleged crimes,” Berman said.
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent-in-Charge Angel M Melendez said — “Dumitru is alleged to have used her trusted position to defraud the government, submitting fraudulent documents to claim asylum. Her alleged actions took up time and resources while those with valid asylum claims waited in line. Now, Dumitru will enter a courtroom as a defendant to face the consequences for her alleged actions.”
Patricia Menges, director of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) New York Asylum Office, said her office was “proud of the hard work of our fraud detection officers that leads to important cases like this one, and ensures that those who try to commit immigration fraud will face justice.
“USCIS is also grateful for the outstanding collaboration with ICE-HSI and our other law enforcement partners,” she said.
According to the allegations in the indictment, between 2012 and 2017, Dumitru participated in a scheme to submit fraudulent I-589 Forms in connection with applications for asylum.
Specifically, the indictment says Dumitru submitted over 180 applications in which she “knowingly made false statements and representations about, among other things, the applicants’ criminal histories, personal narratives of alleged persecution, and/or locations.”
Nevertheless, the indictment says Dumitru “certified each application as true and correct under penalty of perjury.”
Berman said Dumitru is charged with one count of asylum fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and one count of making false statements, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.