Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that BABAR KHAN, 43, of South Windsor, pleaded guilty today via videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector to conspiracy and tax offenses related to a scheme through which individuals seeking immigration services were defrauded.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Khan and his wife, Khatija Khan, operated JLLAS CORP. and EIMAAN LLC, which were created to provide services to clients involved in proceedings with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”). From 2015 to 2020, the Khans recruited clients who sought some form of immigration status, relief or benefit. Many of these clients are aliens residing in the U.S. without legal status and had limited education, a limited ability to understand English, and little to no knowledge of the documents that the Khans were filing with USCIS on their behalf.
Khatija Khan represented herself as an attorney with a background in immigration matters, even though she was not an attorney. The Khans prepared petitions and applications for their clients that contained information that they knew to be false. They also fabricated false documents to support their clients’ applications with USCIS without their clients’ knowledge. They then mailed, or caused to be mailed, these fraudulent applications and documents to USCIS, where they were received and made part of the official Alien file of each respective client.
Many of the Khans’ clients received no relief from USCIS despite paying the Khans significant amounts of money. To generate fees from clients, Khatija Khan filed applications with USCIS even when the submissions lacked merit or a legitimate basis.
Victims identified to date lost a total of $326,212 as a result of this scheme.
In pleading guilty, Babar Khan also admitted that, in the 2016 tax year, he failed to report to the IRS approximately $27,901 in additional taxable income and failed to pay an additional $7,942 in federal taxes that were owed.
Babar Khan and Khatija Khan were arrested on December 19, 2019. After her arrest, Khatija Khan continued to defraud multiple clients.
Babar Khan pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, and offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and one count of making and subscribing a false tax return, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of three years. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill on May 23 in Bridgeport. Khan is released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing.
On November 19, 2021, Khatija Khan pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and one count of mail fraud. She awaits sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, with assistance from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Chen.
Individuals who believe they have been victimized by this scheme contact Ines Cenatiempo, Victim-Witness Coordinator of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, at Ines.Cenatiempo@usdoj.gov or by phone at 203-821-3757.