Queens Immigration Attorney Charged With Asylum Fraud

From USCIS News:

Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Angel M. Melendez, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), and Patricia Menges, Director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services New York Asylum Office, announced that yesterday ANDREEA DUMITRU, a/k/a “Andreea Dumitru Parcalaboiu,” an immigration attorney based in Queens, New York, was charged with asylum fraud and making false statements.  The case has been assigned to U.S. District Court Judge Lewis A. Kaplan.

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “Andreea Dumitru, an immigration attorney, is alleged to have submitted fraudulent forms for over 180 clients, each containing statements and representations she knew to be false.  She now faces prison time for her alleged crimes.”

HSI Special Agent-in-Charge Angel M. Melendez said:  “Dumitru is alleged to have used her trusted position to defraud the government, submitting fraudulent documents to claim asylum.  Her alleged actions took up time and resources while those with valid asylum claims waited in line.  Now, Dumitru will enter a courtroom as a defendant to face the consequences for her alleged actions.”

Director Patricia Menges said:  “U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is proud of the hard work of our fraud detection officers that leads to important cases like this one, and ensures that those who try to commit immigration fraud will face justice.  USCIS is also grateful for the outstanding collaboration with ICE-HSI and our other law enforcement partners.”

According to the allegations in the Indictment [1]

Between 2012 and 2017, DUMITRU participated in a scheme to submit fraudulent I-589 Forms in connection with applications for asylum.  Specifically, DUMITRU submitted over 180 applications in which she knowingly made false statements and representations about, among other things, the applicants’ criminal histories, personal narratives of alleged persecution, and/or locations. Nevertheless, DUMITRU certified each application as true and correct under penalty of perjury.

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DUMITRU, 42, of Queens, New York, is charged with one count of asylum fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and one count of making false statements, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.  The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of HSI and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, and thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation for its assistance.

This case is being prosecuted by the Office’s General Crimes Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alison G. Moe and Robert B. Sobelman are in charge of the prosecution. 

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[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.