Thread: NY: Dominican fake immigration lawyer rips off Hispanics

Free: Immigrants Taken by Fake Lawyer Pack Legal Fair

By Noeleen G. Walder

February 25, 2009


Hundreds of immigrants were left angry and confused when the man they thought was their legal counsel, Victor M. Espinal, was arrested for allegedly posing as an immigration attorney.

Nearly 125 of Mr. Espinal's clients poured into the lobby of the New York City Bar Association on Monday evening to attend a free clinic where 54 attorneys volunteered to help them sort through their legal and immigration options.

During consultations lasting approximately 30 minutes, Mr. Espinal's former clients could ask "any question under the sun" about immigration, according to Elizabeth Reichard, a Fragomen fellow who organized the three-hour collaborative effort between the City Bar Justice Center and the New York City chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

And while the largely Hispanic crowd was told the free advice was a "one-shot" deal, clients could expect to leave with a "road map" of available options, and a list of attorneys who had agreed to provide services at a reduced rate or sliding scale, Ms. Reichard said.

If a case struck the lawyers as "particularly sympathetic," the Justice Center or other advocacy organization might take it pro bono, she added.

Arrested on Jan. 21, Mr. Espinal allegedly carried business cards identifying him as an attorney with the "Immigrant Affairs Office" of the "N.Y. Legal Defense Unit," licensed to practice in California and the Dominican Republic. The Manhattan District Attorney's Office began investigating Mr. Espinal after several of his clients alerted the Immigrant Affairs Program Hotline.

A spokeswoman from the district attorney's office said that Mr. Espinal is registered to practice law in the Dominican Republic but has no U.S. law license. Clients of Mr. Espinal, who has held himself out as an immigration attorney since at least April 1992, according to the district attorney, come largely from the Hispanic community.

Jeremias Quezada, 39, a native of the Dominican Republic, said on Monday that he had retained Mr. Espinal in 1997 to help him obtain U.S. residency. Every time he saw Mr. Espinal, he had "an excuse" about why he had failed to file papers or meet deadlines.

"We had to do everything over and over," Mr. Quezada said in an interview. However, Mr. Quezada only became suspicious of Mr. Espinal when he saw him leaving the office appearing to hide under a large hat. Shortly after, when a shocked Mr. Quezada learned of Mr. Espinal's arrest on television, he phoned his office, but no one answered.

That is when he knew Mr. Espinal was a fake, he said.

Lina Castro, whose husband was deported to the Dominican Republic last week, said Mr. Espinal treated people "with attitude" and gave her bad advice. A 60-year-old U.S. resident, Ms. Castro said she gave approximately $5,000 in cash to Mr. Espinal in less than a year. "In shock" after learning of Mr. Espinal's arrest, and with no copy of her file, Ms. Castro called the immigrant affairs hotline.

She learned about the free bar clinic in a flyer accompanying a letter from the district attorney's office, and said she felt better following her free consultation with an attorney.

"I spoke more to this lawyer" than to Mr. Espinal, Ms. Castro explained in Spanish, during an interview translated by a friend who had accompanied her.

Even though her husband is still in the "yard," a nickname used to refer to the Dominican Republic, Ms. Castro said, "I feel better because they will [bring this] guy to justice, and because it won't happen to other people."

According to Chen Tien, a solo practitioner and immigration attorney who offered advice at the clinic, scams like the one Mr. Espinal allegedly pulled off are not uncommon.

"Immigrants don't know the system, they are afraid to ask questions," Ms. Tien said. And when they do not speak the language, immigrants "tend to rely on others for information," she added.

Jason Abrams of Abrams & Abrams said the "real reason" immigrants frequently fall prey to fraud is because of the confusion engendered by the term "notario." In many of their home countries, unlike the United States, a "notario" or "notario publico," is a licensed attorney, and some notarios take advantage of this confusion, he explained.

However, it is infrequent that an unlicensed individual actually goes so far as to hold himself out as an attorney, Mr. Abrams said.

Like many of Mr. Espinal's victims, Mr. Abrams learned about Mr. Espinal's arrest on television.

"A couple of days went by before I realized he was in my building," said Mr. Abrams, whose immigration law office is at 7 Penn Plaza.

One of several attorneys from the American Immigration Lawyers Association to propose the idea of a free clinic to Ms. Reichard, Mr. Abrams said the low quality of Mr. Espinal's work became evident on Monday night.

Mr. Espinal filed motions a year late, told clients it was okay not to show up at court appearances, and "took advantage of every single one of these people," Mr. Abrams said.

Mr. Abrams added that a liaison committee from the New York chapter of the immigration lawyers' association has been speaking informally with Andrea Quarantillo, who heads the New York district office of the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services, about making certain accommodations for Mr. Espinal's clients, including arranging for copies of their files to be sent to them, postponing upcoming interviews and withdrawing pending applications. However, he stressed in an e-mail that he had no formal arrangement in place.

Mr. Espinal, who has been indicted on multiple charges, including third-degree grand larceny, which is punishable by up to seven years in prison, is scheduled to appear tomorrow before Acting Supreme Court Justice Michael J. Obus (See Profile).

Clients of Mr. Espinal who need access to their files can make a freedom of information request to Citizen and Immigration Services. Requests will be expedited in the event of an upcoming court date.

A spokesman from the federal agency declined to comment on the matter.

Noeleen.Walder@incisivemedia.com

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Free: Immigrants Taken by Fake Lawyer Pack Legal Fair

By Noeleen G. Walder

February 25, 2009


Hundreds of immigrants were left angry and confused when the man they thought was their legal counsel, Victor M. Espinal, was arrested for allegedly posing as an immigration attorney.

Nearly 125 of Mr. Espinal's clients poured into the lobby of the New York City Bar Association on Monday evening to attend a free clinic where 54 attorneys volunteered to help them sort through their legal and immigration options.

During consultations lasting approximately 30 minutes, Mr. Espinal's former clients could ask "any question under the sun" about immigration, according to Elizabeth Reichard, a Fragomen fellow who organized the three-hour collaborative effort between the City Bar Justice Center and the New York City chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

And while the largely Hispanic crowd was told the free advice was a "one-shot" deal, clients could expect to leave with a "road map" of available options, and a list of attorneys who had agreed to provide services at a reduced rate or sliding scale, Ms. Reichard said.

If a case struck the lawyers as "particularly sympathetic," the Justice Center or other advocacy organization might take it pro bono, she added.

Arrested on Jan. 21, Mr. Espinal allegedly carried business cards identifying him as an attorney with the "Immigrant Affairs Office" of the "N.Y. Legal Defense Unit," licensed to practice in California and the Dominican Republic. The Manhattan District Attorney's Office began investigating Mr. Espinal after several of his clients alerted the Immigrant Affairs Program Hotline.

A spokeswoman from the district attorney's office said that Mr. Espinal is registered to practice law in the Dominican Republic but has no U.S. law license. Clients of Mr. Espinal, who has held himself out as an immigration attorney since at least April 1992, according to the district attorney, come largely from the Hispanic community.

Jeremias Quezada, 39, a native of the Dominican Republic, said on Monday that he had retained Mr. Espinal in 1997 to help him obtain U.S. residency. Every time he saw Mr. Espinal, he had "an excuse" about why he had failed to file papers or meet deadlines.

"We had to do everything over and over," Mr. Quezada said in an interview. However, Mr. Quezada only became suspicious of Mr. Espinal when he saw him leaving the office appearing to hide under a large hat. Shortly after, when a shocked Mr. Quezada learned of Mr. Espinal's arrest on television, he phoned his office, but no one answered.

That is when he knew Mr. Espinal was a fake, he said.

Lina Castro, whose husband was deported to the Dominican Republic last week, said Mr. Espinal treated people "with attitude" and gave her bad advice. A 60-year-old U.S. resident, Ms. Castro said she gave approximately $5,000 in cash to Mr. Espinal in less than a year. "In shock" after learning of Mr. Espinal's arrest, and with no copy of her file, Ms. Castro called the immigrant affairs hotline.

She learned about the free bar clinic in a flyer accompanying a letter from the district attorney's office, and said she felt better following her free consultation with an attorney.

"I spoke more to this lawyer" than to Mr. Espinal, Ms. Castro explained in Spanish, during an interview translated by a friend who had accompanied her.

Even though her husband is still in the "yard," a nickname used to refer to the Dominican Republic, Ms. Castro said, "I feel better because they will [bring this] guy to justice, and because it won't happen to other people."

According to Chen Tien, a solo practitioner and immigration attorney who offered advice at the clinic, scams like the one Mr. Espinal allegedly pulled off are not uncommon.

"Immigrants don't know the system, they are afraid to ask questions," Ms. Tien said. And when they do not speak the language, immigrants "tend to rely on others for information," she added.

Jason Abrams of Abrams & Abrams said the "real reason" immigrants frequently fall prey to fraud is because of the confusion engendered by the term "notario." In many of their home countries, unlike the United States, a "notario" or "notario publico," is a licensed attorney, and some notarios take advantage of this confusion, he explained.

However, it is infrequent that an unlicensed individual actually goes so far as to hold himself out as an attorney, Mr. Abrams said.

Like many of Mr. Espinal's victims, Mr. Abrams learned about Mr. Espinal's arrest on television.

"A couple of days went by before I realized he was in my building," said Mr. Abrams, whose immigration law office is at 7 Penn Plaza.

One of several attorneys from the American Immigration Lawyers Association to propose the idea of a free clinic to Ms. Reichard, Mr. Abrams said the low quality of Mr. Espinal's work became evident on Monday night.

Mr. Espinal filed motions a year late, told clients it was okay not to show up at court appearances, and "took advantage of every single one of these people," Mr. Abrams said.

Mr. Abrams added that a liaison committee from the New York chapter of the immigration lawyers' association has been speaking informally with Andrea Quarantillo, who heads the New York district office of the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services, about making certain accommodations for Mr. Espinal's clients, including arranging for copies of their files to be sent to them, postponing upcoming interviews and withdrawing pending applications. However, he stressed in an e-mail that he had no formal arrangement in place.

Mr. Espinal, who has been indicted on multiple charges, including third-degree grand larceny, which is punishable by up to seven years in prison, is scheduled to appear tomorrow before Acting Supreme Court Justice Michael J. Obus (See Profile).

Clients of Mr. Espinal who need access to their files can make a freedom of information request to Citizen and Immigration Services. Requests will be expedited in the event of an upcoming court date.

A spokesman from the federal agency declined to comment on the matter.

Noeleen.Walder@incisivemedia.com

A spokeswoman from the district attorney's office said that Mr. Espinal is registered to practice law in the Dominican Republic but has no U.S. law license. Clients of Mr. Espinal, who has held himself out as an immigration attorney since at least April 1992, according to the district attorney

So it's OK to take construction jobs but NOT white collar work?

Free legal help for victims of immigration law scam
Thursday, February 19th 2009, 1:38 AM

Free legal advice is available for those who hired Victor Espinal to help with immigration problems.

Espinal was recently indicted by Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau for impersonating an immigration lawyer.

Many of Espinal's "clients" now find themselves without representation. Lawyers from the American Immigration Lawyers Association's New York Chapter Pro Bono Committee and the City Bar Justice Center of the New York City Bar are teaming up to help individuals who hired Espinal.

Free consultations with an experienced lawyer - under the auspices of the New York City Immigrant Advocacy Initiative - will be available on Feb. 23 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the City Bar offices at 42 W. 44th St., Manhattan. Consultations will be available in English and Spanish. Bring any documentation regarding your case.

If you are one of the many individuals facing removal or deportation, the New York City Immigrant Advocacy Initiative lawyers will help you learn the status of your case and aid you in finding free or reduced-fee assistance.

Individuals who need application assistance, such as individuals petitioning for relatives or those applying for citizenship, can get free help at any of the offices of the CUNY Citizenship and Immigration Project. You can find a list of the centers at www.cuny.edu/citizenshipnow.

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/bro ... grati.html