Immigration Attorney Fined $240K For Asylum Scam: AG

SOMERVILLE, MA — An immigration attorney with four offices in Massachusetts, including one in Somerville, has been ordered to pay more than $240,000 in penalties and restitution for a years-long asylum scam, Attorney General Maura Healey said.

George Maroun Jr. was sued by the attorney general's office in 2018 after he was accused of targeting the Brazilian immigrant community with deceptive and misleading practices, many of which put his clients at risk of deportation, Healey said.

Since 2013, Maroun submitted immigration-related petitions and applications on behalf of more than 1,000 residents in eastern Massachusetts, many of whom are Brazilian and speak limited English, Healey's office said.

A judge found that Maroun repeatedly violated the Consumer Protection Act by filing applications on behalf of new clients without their knowledge or consent; failing to explain the legal processes he would use in their cases or the possible risks or benefits of those processes; filing asylum applications and affidavits containing false information; filing untimely asylum applications which were nearly certain to result in denial and lead to removal proceedings; making false guarantees and misrepresentations about the likelihood that he would secure clients legal immigration status; and using threats of deportation to collect attorney's fees.

"This attorney's business model targeted and exploited immigrants looking for legal help and made a profit at their expense, while also putting them at risk of deportation," Healey said in a statement. "This was a hard-fought case by my office, and we are pleased to secure restitution and achieve accountability for those harmed by these illegal practices."

Maroun was ordered to ppay a total of $241,800, including $160,000 in civil penalties and $81,800 for impacted clients. He is permanently banned from representing new clients, filing immigration applications, or soliciting legal fees without disclosing and fully explaining the legal processes, available options for clients, and any risks and benefits to his services.

Maroun is also required to obtain the client's consent before undertaking any representation or filing any applications on behalf of the client, and is barred from making threats of deportation or other negative immigration consequences in order to collect current or additional legal fees from clients.

The Supreme Judicial Court and the Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers may decide to place restrictions on Maroun's ability to practice law in the state, according to the judge.