A Ghanaian lawyer, Kofi Amankwaa, based in the United States, along with his son, Kofi Amankwaa Jr., has been arrested and charged with orchestrating a seven-year immigration scheme that defrauded hundreds of immigrants, leading to some being deported.

The allegations involve advising clients to submit fraudulent petitions under the Violence Against Women Act, falsely claiming abuse by their American citizen children to facilitate green card applications.

The applications were often found to be fraudulent, resulting in denials and deportations.

The charges against the Amankwaas include conspiracy to defraud the United States and immigration fraud, each carrying maximum sentences of five and ten years, respectively. The New York attorney general, Letitia James, has filed a lawsuit seeking restitution and damages against the accused.

Kofi Amankwaa had been licensed to practice law in New York since 1996, but his license was suspended in November after complaints were received about misconduct. The younger Mr. Amankwaa provided legal advice to clients even though he was not licensed to practice law in New York.

One client, Ricardo Velazquez, was advised by Mr. Amankwaa to leave the country and re-enter to continue his green card application, claiming abuse by his son.

However, Mr. Velazquez was detained and eventually deported when he tried to return from Mexico.