Haredi attorney sentenced to four years in prison for defrauding immigrants

Thousands of Israelis, many of them haredi, who paid huge sums to a haredi attorney who specialized in arranging immigration papers, lost their money and are in danger of being deported from the United States, due to illegal stay.

The District Court in Manhattan sentenced yesterday (Thursday) the lawyer Avraham David to four years in prison for fraud.

Attorney Avraham David, 49, ran a law firm specializing in arranging Israeli immigration papers until 2006. He became famous as one who organizes a 'Green Card' for Israelis as quickly as possible, for a modest fee of 30 thousand dollars.

According to the judge, the lawyer hired straw men who testified that they employ the customers who wanted immigration papers, and even issued fake documents. In 2006, when the lawyer felt that he is being followed, he closed his office and moved the family to Toronto.

In Toronto Avraham David posed as Rabbi and expert in numerology, and began to accept audience, he even wrote a book of Torah commentaries.

Five years after he fled to Toronto, he was arrested by the police and extradited to the United States. A year ago, as part of a plea bargain, David admitted deceiving the immigration authorities, and another section.

Together with Avraham David 26 more people were arrested, who were employed by him and helped him issue false documents.

The Department of Immigration recorded 25 thousand immigration forms submitted by the attorney's office which were sent during the 13 years of ministry, most of which were fake. According to the prosecution, David's license to practice law was suspended in 2004, but he continued to present himself as an attorney under an assumed name.

Of the 26 people arrested in the case, 12 were sentenced. Since his arrest two years ago and his admission of guilt, all the thousands who were issued with a 'Green Card' or citizenship are in fear of deportation.

Every week Israeli families whom the Department of Immigration revealed that are residing without permission, are expelled. The deportees are unable to return to the land of the United States.

A former haredi who has been living in the U.S. for 15 years without a visa, says: "I am one of Avraham David's victims. My daughters live here, I have grandchildren here, but immigration authorities can arrive at any minute and expel us within 24 hours. I'm still paying the loans I took to pay the lawyer for the Green Card. The problem is that I am not alone. I know many people who have lost their money by all kinds of crooks who presented themselves as experts in immigration."

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!