Fake Immigration Attorney Gets Prison For Scamming People

HEMPSTEAD, NY — A Queens man who posed as an immigration attorney at a Nassau law firm and bilked dozens of victims out of thousands of dollars has been sentenced to a year in jail.

Edier Alberto Alvarez, 36, was sentenced today to 364 days in jail for stealing $74,000 from more than 40 people who were seeking immigration assistance. He had pleaded guilty on Nov. 18, 2021 to fourth-degree grand larceny.

“This defendant posed as an immigration attorney and stole tens of thousands of dollars from dozens of victims who believed they were his clients, exploiting them as they attempted to navigate the legal system with sensitive immigration matters,” said Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly.

According to Donnelly, between 2017 and 2019, while working as a paralegal at a Hempstead-based law firm, Alvarez misappropriated payments from his employer and clients who were seeking help on immigration cases. He also misrepresented himself as an attorney to prospective clients of the firm, accepting money from them to help with their cases. In both instances, people paid him money and never received services.

Donnelly said that, during the investigation, her office learned that the Queens County District Attorney's office had also received complaints from seven people who said that Alvarez had passed himself off as an immigration attorney, and accepted money to help clients without ever providing any assistance.

In total, prosecutors say Alvarez received about $74,000, which includes money taken from his employer and more than 40 victims in both Nassau and Queens.

“This defendant preyed on vulnerable immigrants seeking citizenship in the United States," said Queens County District Attorney Melinda Katz. "The victims were duped by this charlatan who took their money and dashed their hopes. I want to thank the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office and our other law enforcement partners for their dedication to bringing justice to the 40 victims in this case."

The case was a joint investigation between the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office; the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Fraud Detection and National Security Unit at the New York Asylum Office; and the Queens County District Attorney’s Office.

If you believe you were the victim of Edier Alvarez, please call the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office of Immigrant Affairs at (516) 571-7756.