Providence Immigration Attorney Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud and Tax Evasion

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - A Providence attorney pleaded guilty in federal court to wire fraud and tax evasion in connection with a scheme to defraud immigration clients and evade federal taxes. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services provided valuable assistance to the investigation. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Rhode Island made the announcement.

Joseph Molina-Flynn, 43, a former immigration attorney who practiced in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of tax evasion. Molina-Flynn admitted that he devised and executed a scheme between 2019 and 2023 to defraud immigration clients by collecting legal and filing fees for services he did not perform and providing some clients with false information about the status of their immigration matters. Molina-Flynn admitted that he collected approximately $98,000 from immigration clients for legal services not provided and expenses not incurred. He used the fraudulently obtained funds to operate his law practice and pay personal expenses.

Molina-Flynn also admitted that he failed to file a federal income tax return for 2021 and took steps to conceal income and payroll tax obligations, including by using his law firm's operating account to pay personal expenses. Under the plea agreement, the parties will recommend at sentencing that the tax loss attributable to Molina-Flynn's tax evasion is at least $550,000 but less than $1.5 million.

Under the terms of the plea agreement, Molina-Flynn must pay $83,265 in restitution to victims of the wire fraud scheme. He must also file accurate delinquent federal tax returns for tax years 2019 through 2023 and pay the U.S. Treasury outstanding federal taxes, interest, and penalties. Molina-Flynn is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 17. The sentence will be determined by a U.S. District Court judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Wire fraud carries a statutory maximum sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison, and tax evasion carries a statutory maximum sentence of up to five years in federal prison. Each count also carries potential fines and periods of supervised release.

The matter was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations, the IRS, the Providence Police Department, and the FBI with assistance from USCIS.

To report suspected immigration benefit fraud or abuse to USCIS, please use the USCIS Tip Form.

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