Illegal Immigrant Amnesty Fraud in New Jersey
Lawyer lied to government to help hundreds of illegal aliens
Jonathan Saint Preux, an attorney specializing in immigration law, has pleaded guilty to falsely representing that his clients had lived unlawfully in the United States before 1982 so that they could qualify for legal residency under a 1986 federal illegal alien amnesty program. Preux admitted that the scheme which ran from 2004 to February 2006 brought his Irvington law office hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Saint Preux, 44, of South Orange, is the third person to plead guilty in the case. His wife, Michele Saint Preux, 40, who was his office manager; and Bharat Kotak, 56, of Iselin, who referred illegal immigrants to the firm, have also pleaded guilty. They remain free pending sentencing. Immigration fraud carries up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A fourth defendant, Naranjan Patel, 47, of South Plainfield, pleaded not guilty and is scheduled for trial in June.
The scheme involved the fraudulent preparation and filing of at least 800 fraudulent Applications for Status as a Temporary Resident (Forms I-687), and other immigration documents. An I-687 is a petition for an alien to become a lawful resident in the United States.
Jonathan Saint Preux, an attorney specializing in immigration law, has pleaded guilty to falsely representing that his clients had lived unlawfully in the United States before 1982 so that they could qualify for legal residency under a 1986 federal illegal alien amnesty program. Preux admitted that the scheme which ran from 2004 to February 2006 brought his Irvington law office hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Saint Preux, 44, of South Orange, is the third person to plead guilty in the case. His wife, Michele Saint Preux, 40, who was his office manager; and Bharat Kotak, 56, of Iselin, who referred illegal immigrants to the firm, have also pleaded guilty. They remain free pending sentencing. Immigration fraud carries up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A fourth defendant, Naranjan Patel, 47, of South Plainfield, pleaded not guilty and is scheduled for trial in June.
The scheme involved the fraudulent preparation and filing of at least 800 fraudulent Applications for Status as a Temporary Resident (Forms I-687), and other immigration documents. An I-687 is a petition for an alien to become a lawful resident in the United States.
Labels: Illegal Immigrant Amnesty, Immigration Fraud, New Jersey Illegal Immigration
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