Queens immigration attorney Andreea Dumitru, 43, is headed to federal prison for five years after being convicted of running a brazen asylum fraud scheme that exploited the U.S. immigration system for profit. Using forged documents, fake persecution tales, and falsified notarizations, Dumitru submitted over 100 fraudulent I-589 asylum applications between 2013 and 2017, all while posing as a trusted legal advocate.
Dumitru, also known as Andreea Dumitru Parcalaboiu, was convicted on November 19, 2018, following a two-week trial in Manhattan federal court. U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan presided over the case and handed down the sentence, which also includes one year of supervised release and forfeiture of $157,500. She was found guilty of asylum fraud, making false statements to immigration authorities, and aggravated identity theft—charges that carry steep penalties and reflect the severity of betraying a sacred legal trust.
Court documents and trial evidence revealed that Dumitru didn’t just cut corners—she fabricated entire life stories for clients, inventing detailed accounts of persecution, falsifying criminal histories, and doctoring travel records. She forged client signatures and notarized affidavits under false pretenses, turning the asylum process into a scripted theater of lies. The scheme targeted vulnerable immigrants seeking refuge, manipulating their desperation for financial gain.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman didn’t mince words: “Using lies and forgery, Andreea Dumitru, an immigration attorney, cheated the nation’s asylum program. For her crimes, Dumitru will now spend five years in prison.” The statement underscores the federal government’s sharpened focus on rooting out corruption within legal immigration channels, especially when committed by licensed professionals sworn to uphold the law.
The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, with support from the FBI and the Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review. Prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York’s General Crimes Unit, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas W. Chiuchiolo, Alison G. Moe, and Robert B. Sobelman, built the case that dismantled Dumitru’s operation.
The sentencing sends a clear message: those who weaponize the legal system against the very people it’s meant to protect will face severe consequences. Dumitru’s fall from licensed attorney to convicted felon highlights how greed can corrupt even the most solemn professions—and how federal prosecutors will pursue justice with full force.
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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