Wednesday, November 18, 2009, 4:44pm EST
Duluth lawyer guilty of immigration fraud

Duluth, Ga., lawyer Sai Hyun Lee, 63, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to immigration fraud.

Lee, who was licensed to practice law in Georgia, charged a client, who was an alien seeking lawful status, $25,000 to substitute the client on an approved labor certificate that had been issued to an employer but for a different foreign worker. Lee then assisted her client in using the labor certificate to apply for Lawful Resident Status in the United States based upon employment, knowing the client did not work for the employer and did not intend to work for the employer to which the labor certificate was issued.

Based upon the fraudulent application, the client got legal status as a Lawful Resident Alien. Lee’s client never worked for the employer and the employer was not aware Lee used the labor certificate to assist her client in obtaining legal status.

Further investigation revealed Lee assisted at least 16 other aliens in the same way. In some instances, aliens who hired Lee to help them obtain legal status did not know they were supposed to be working for a particular employer when they became legal resident aliens. In many cases, the employers did not know Lee used labor certificates issued to them to assist her clients in obtaining lawful status through fraud.

Lee’s sentencing is set for Feb. 18, 2010. She faces a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

Lee already agreed to forfeit to the United States the $100,000 in fees she charged the 17 aliens to assist them in submitting fraudulent applications for legal status.



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