By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu
A 70-year-old US-based Ghanaian attorney, Kofi Amankwaa, has been sentenced to 70 months in prison for orchestrating a large-scale immigration fraud.
From 2016 to 2023, he filed thousands of false petitions under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), falsely claiming his clients were victims of abuse to help them obtain permanent residency.
This fraudulent activity was carried out without the clients’ knowledge, and Amankwaa profited by charging them between $3,000 and $6,000 each. His actions were exposed after client complaints led to the suspension of his law license in 2023, and his disbarment in 2024.
In addition to the prison sentence, Amankwaa must forfeit $13.4 million and pay over $16.5 million in restitution to the victims.
The case was confirmed by Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky, who stated, “Amankwaa made a mockery of the U.S. immigration system and took advantage of vulnerable clients.”
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