What to Know
- A NY man is facing charges in connection to defrauding immigrants by posing as an Immigration Assistant Service Provider, authorities say
- According to prosecutors, Vadim Alekseev, 42, filed 35 fraudulent asylum applications, charging an upfront fee of up to $3,000
- Authorities say, Alekseev targeted immigrants of Eastern-European descent by presenting himself as a licensed paralegal
A New York man is facing multiple charges in connection to defrauding immigrants by posing as an Immigration Assistant Service Provider and filing dozens of alleged fraudulent asylum applications, authorities say.
Vadim Alekseev, 42, of Coney Island, Brooklyn, is charged with first-degree scheme to defraud, first-degree immigrant assistance services fraud, fourth-degree grand larceny, tampering with physical evidence and practicing or appearing as attorney-at-law without being admitted and registered, the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday.
The District Attorney, Eric Gonzalez, said that, according to an investigation, between August 2014 and December 2017, the defendant allegedly filed 35 asylum applications with the Department of Homeland Security, which were flagged as fraudulent by the agency.
Authorities say Alekseev targeted immigrants of Eastern-European descent, presented himself as a licensed paralegal authorized to prepare immigration applications and advertised his services in Russian newspapers and websites.
Allegedly, Alekseev charged his victims between $1,000 and $3,000 in advance and, after filing their applications, refused to answer phone calls and text messages.
According to prosecutors, Alekseev's scheme allegedly netted $30,000. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services agency found that all the applications he filed were “strikingly similar” and deemed them to be fraudulent, authorities said, adding that none of the victims received asylum status or other benefits.
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The grand larceny and immigrant assistance services fraud charges are in connection to five specific victims who all reside in Brooklyn and arrived to the United States from Eastern Europe in 2016 and 2017, prosecutors say.
“As the federal government puts in place unprecedented hurdles on immigrants and asylum seekers, it is more important than ever to make sure that con men don’t take advantage of the desperation and fear,” Gonzalez said in a statement.
"This defendant allegedly did just that: he presented bogus credentials and charged vulnerable newcomers thousands of dollars for immigration services he never delivered,” Gonzalez added while urging "everyone to be cautious and diligent when seeking immigration assistance."
USCIS New York Asylum Office Director Patricia A. Menges shared similar sentiments, saying in a statement that it "is particularly despicable when scammers prey on those in their own community, taking advantage of the trust placed in them to prepare immigration applications and petitions."
Alekseev was ordered to be held on $15,000 bail. He is scheduled to return to court Oct. 3.
He faces up to four years in prison if convicted on the top count.
Attorney information for Alekseev was not immediately available.
