IMMIGRATION LAWYER CONVICTED IN FRAUD CASE

A Hawaii immigration lawyer has been convicted for preparing fraudulent E-2 Treaty Investor petitions and stealing from his clients. S. Jay Matsumara was convicted for defrauding Japanese clients who hired him to secure visas requiring a substantial investment in the US. The clients wired more than $ 700,000 to Matsumara who is said to have used the money for his personal use.

The attorney was convicted on two counts of wire fraud, two counts of visa fraud and one count of creating a business for the purpose of violating immigration laws. He received a sentence of 41 months in prison.

Another immigration lawyer in Florida has also found himself in hot water. Palm Beach Gardens, Florida immigration lawyer Frank Ricci is being sued by former clients for misleading clients into believing that he could secure an EB-5 investor visa with only $ 100,000 invested in the enterprise. The EB-5 visa normally requires an investment of at least $500,000 in an enterprise that will create at least ten jobs.

One client alleges that Ricci promised him a visa in three months. Another alleges that Ricci did not return the client’s money when he could not secure the visa. Ricci defends himself saying that he has either returned the money or is still appealing the petition. Ricci says that he has won twelve cases and has another 30 on appeal. He states that he has only been trying to protect the best interests of his clients and the INS is now denying these cases as part of an effort to effectively kill the EB-5 program.

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