A Ghanaian immigration lawyer based in New York has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for orchestrating an elaborate scheme to defraud thousands of immigrants seeking green cards.

Kofi Amankwaa and his son Kofi Amankwaa Jr as well as other lawyers, were convicted in a federal court of conspiracy to commit immigration fraud and committing immigration fraud.

They were operating their scam through Amankwaa's law firm in Brooklyn, deceiving clients into paying $6,000 each with false promises of securing legal residency in the United States.

According to prosecutors, the Amankwaas exploited the Violence Against Women Act by instructing clients to lie about being victims of domestic abuse or having abused children.


This was done to unfairly take advantage of provisions allowing such victims expedited green card processing.

However, their fraudulent applications only led to deportation for many.

New York State Attorney General Letitia James, whose office brought the civil suit, said "When these immigrants sought help from attorneys claiming to act in their interests, they were taken advantage of and harmed instead. This cruel and illegal scheme led to them being separated from their families and deported."

US Attorney Damian Williams condemned the "mockery they made of the immigration system. They sought only financial gain at the expense of vulnerable people seeking legal status and a better life."

Several victims testified at trial how the scam destroyed their dreams of citizenship.

The court ordered restitution payments be made in addition to the 15-year prison sentence handed down to the father and son, and other lawyers involved in the scheme.