What to Know
- Vincent Gonzalez is accused of posing as an immigration attorney and defrauding victims in at least 500 court appearances
- Gonzalez ran an office in the Bronx called "God-Man Society Club Inc," according to the attorney general's office
- He owes millions in penalties and restitution
A fake immigration attorney in New York City who's scammed hundreds of people under a business he's operated under the name "God-Man Society Club Inc." is facing millions in penalties, fines and jail time, the state attorney general says.
Vincent Gonzalez of the Bronx was ordered in 2010 to stop providing phony immigration services, but the attorney general started getting renewed complaints about him in 2015.
He ran "God-Man Society Club Inc." out of the Bronx, and his website, immigrationservices.name, openly offered legal services, according to Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.
Gonzalez told one victim he was an attorney who could assist in immigration-related services and assist in a pending criminal case; he said he would charge $1,500 as an investigation fee, $5,000 as an initial retainer, another $8,000 to complete the criminal case, and an additional $3,000 for bail if the victim were to be arrested. The victim initially paid Gonzalez $650, then became skeptical of his ability to represent him and cut off contact with him.
Schneiderman filed for a criminal and civil contempt order against Gonzalez in state Supreme Court seeking full payment of the millions of dollars in prior judgments, jail times and fines.
Gonazlez faces up to six months in jail for the civil contempt charges, and 30 days in jail for criminal contempt charges. He also faces up to a $1,000 fine for each day he's judge to be in criminal contempt. Attorney information for him wasn't immediately available.
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Below, the attorney general's office has offered further guidance for potential victims:
If you feel you have been a victim of this type of crime, please contact the Attorney General’s Immigration Services Fraud Unit Hotline at (866) 390-2992 or email Civil.Rights@ag.ny.gov. The Attorney General’s office will never ask for your immigration status or share immigration information with federal authorities if you contact the hotline.
Attorneys must be licensed in the State of New York by the New York State Unified Court System, Office of Court Administration. If possible, before meeting or retaining an attorney, consumers should confirm his or her license on the OCA website: iapps.courts.state.ny.us/attorney/AttorneySearch.
Attorney General Schneiderman also reminds immigrant communities of the New York resources available to those seeking immigration and naturalization-related support. Managed by Catholic Charities Community Services, the New Americans hotline is a toll-free, multi-lingual hotline that provides live assistance in receiving immigration and naturalization information and referrals, regardless of citizenship or documented status. All calls to the hotline are confidential and anonymous. Call 1-800-566-7636 (toll-free) anytime between 9:00am to 8:00pm, Monday through Friday.
Attorney General Schneiderman’s guidance on avoiding immigration scams is available here: https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/ag-schneiderman-issues-urgent-fraud-alert-ice-immigration-scams.
