Summary: A former San Jose area attorney has been busted for acting as an immigration consultant to possibly 1,000 victims.
A San Jose man and former attorney has been arrested by police after allegedly providing immigration advice to around 1,000 individuals. James Lopez was arrested in October for providing immigration services without the proper credentials. Lopez lacked clearance from the California Secretary of State or a $100,000 bond allowing him to function as an immigration consultant.
Lopez is a former attorney that was dealt several disciplinary infractions with him resigning from the California State Bar in 2002. Even though he resigned on his own, he continued to practice law without a license, providing immigration services from his office. His advice caused serious financial consequences and immigration delays for his clients.
Lopez has been charged with forgery, practicing law with no license, and grand theft. During a search warrant, authorities found roughly 1,000 files, leading to their suspicion that he served that many victims. Sgt. Rich Glennon of the San Jose Sheriff’s Office said, “We have not identified anywhere hear that many victims. These victims are very reluctant to come forward for fear of deportation. We have made contact with approximately 50 victims and only 10 so far have been willing to cooperate with the criminal investigation. We know there are many more victims who have yet to come forward.”
Do you think Lopez knew he was giving bad immigration advice? Tell us in the comments below.
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