CAMDEN, N.J. – A Philadelphia man has been charged for falsely filing immigration documents and identity theft against victims who thought he was an immigration attorney.
The federal government alleges Luc Fikiri Matthews, 47, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, of submitting false and fraudulent immigration documents and committing aggravated identity theft.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
“In 2017 and 2018, Matthews falsely represented himself as an immigration attorney to attract business from noncitizens who did not have legal permanent resident status in the United States. Under the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Prevention Act of 2000, the victims of certain qualifying crimes that occur in the United States, including noncitizen victims who might otherwise be subject to immigration removal proceedings, may be eligible to obtain a U Visa and remain in the United States. After agreeing to represent new clients and charging them fees, Matthews prepared and submitted false and fraudulent U Visa application documents to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service.
“The documents prepared by Matthews included multiple fraudulent statements, such as falsely representing that his clients had been the victims of certain qualifying crimes, or containing false names, signatures, and other false means of identification, from various visa applicants and government officials located in New Jersey and New York. None of Matthews’ clients ever actually received a U Visa.