Washington: In one of the biggest Green Card – visa fraud cases in the US history, two lawyers have been sentenced to serve prison terms for fleecing hundreds of immigrants, including Indians.

Federal judge Leonie M Brinkema, on March 8 sentenced Arlington (Virginia) lawyer Samuel G Kooritzky to 10 years in prison and ordered him to forfeit $ 2.3 million in compensation for the "massive labour fraud scheme".

Kooritzsky's associate Ronald W Bogardus, who earlier pleaded guilty and co-operated with prosecutors, was sentenced eight years' imprisonment.

The two were accused of repeatedly filing false certificates with the US Department of Labour to help hundreds of immigrants get permanent resident visas, or Green Cards.

Several victims including an Indian Prabodh Pathak, testified at the hearing on March 7. Pathak said he approached Kooritzsky's firm for help in obtaining a visa after seeing an advertisement in an ethnic Indian newspaper.

"People ask how come you did not suspect. But who are you going to believe if you don't believe an attorney?" he asked.

Terming the labour fraud scheme as "appalling" and a "terrible case", the judge said, "These are people who came to this country with certain dreams and hopes. Those dreams and hopes have been ruined by your conduct."

Prosecutors described the case, the fourth conviction to come from a year-long investigation by various Federal agencies, as one of the biggest instances of labour certification fraud in the US history.

PTI