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INDIANAPOLIS LAWYER JOINS $750,000 VISA SCAM
Indianapolis immigration lawyer Joel Paul, 45, of Fishers, Indiana, pleaded guilty to visa fraud, identity theft, and mail fraud in a scheme to submit fake visa applications.
According to court documents, Paul submitted over 250 false applications for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) on behalf of his clients without their knowledge or consent. The applications falsely claimed that his clients had been victims of a crime and had provided substantial assistance to law enforcement in the investigation.
Paul also submitted unauthorized copies of a certification he had obtained from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana in 2013 to support the false claims. He used the certification to falsely claim that the applicants had provided substantial assistance in a criminal prosecution.
As part of the scheme, Paul charged his clients approximately $3,000 per application. The total amount of fraudulent fees collected was approximately $750,000.
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) office in Chicago. Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Gaston, Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter M. Nothstein, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Vaughn are prosecuting the case.
“The people who commit immigration fraud undermine and abuse our generous and lawful immigration system—a system that admits more immigrants than any other country in the world—and put our public safety and national security at risk,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “President Trump promised voters that he would get this country back on track to a lawful immigration system, and this Department of Justice is committed to fulfilling that promise by ending immigration fraud and abuse.”
Paul’s sentencing is scheduled for early 2018 before U.S. District Court Judge Jane E. Magnus-Stinson.
Those who believe they have been victims of these crimes or have information about these crimes can contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (202) 514-1412.
Key Facts
- State: Indiana
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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