Houston immigration attorney arrested, indicted for mail fraud and writing false statements: DOCS

HOUSTON - Federal authorities arrested a 44-year-old Houston immigration attorney. [Click2Houston]

A Houston immigration lawyer appeared in federal court Wednesday after authorities charged her with bilking clients out of money for services she did not deliver.

Alla Nowowiejski, 44, faces one count of mail fraud and one count of making false statements, according to a Harris County grand jury indictment. Prosecutors allege she collected fees from clients seeking legal assistance with immigration applications and visa matters, then failed to complete the work or submitted only partial applications on their behalf.

According to court documents, Nowowiejski provided clients with fake case reference numbers and fraudulent documents designed to make them believe their immigration applications were being actively processed, investigators said. In at least one instance, prosecutors said she instructed a client to furnish medical records to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services despite those documents being unnecessary for the case. She also submitted medical records she knew contained materially false information to the federal immigration agency, court records show.

The indictment centers on two specific clients, but Nowowiejski's alleged misconduct extends beyond the criminal charges. Court records indicate that Audubon Engineering Operations sued the attorney in 2023 after hiring her to manage immigration cases for five of its employees. The company later discovered that Nowowiejski had not filed the necessary paperwork despite representing that she had done so. A judge ruled in the company's favor after Nowowiejski failed to respond to the civil lawsuit.

The investigation involved multiple agencies, including the inspector general offices of the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the U.S. Postal Service, as well as the Harris County Constable's Office Precinct 1.

If convicted on both charges, Nowowiejski faces up to 20 years in federal prison and fines reaching $250,000. She made her initial court appearance Wednesday afternoon. It was unclear whether she had been released from custody following the hearing.