Fake lawyer pleads guilty

A man has admitted posing as a New York immigration lawyer and taking thousands of dollars from people who sought his help in getting visas and work and residency papers, the Manhattan district attorney’s office says.

The man, Victor M. Espinal, pleaded guilty on Thursday to scheming to defraud, grand larceny and other charges. He is expected to be sentenced to six months in jail and to pay $10,000 in restitution.

His lawyer did not immediately return a call.

Prosecutors said Mr. Espinal, 61, worked as a lawyer for more than 15 years. He studied law in the Dominican Republic but was never admitted to the bar in the United States.

His clients, most of whom were from the Caribbean and Central America, paid up to $3,000 for services that often he did not provide, the district attorney's office said.

(Published by The New York Times – May 13, 2010)