A Canarsie man faces up to seven years in prison for allegedly ripping off undocumented immigrants to the tune of $8,520.
James Archibald, 55, failed to deliver on promised work permits and green cards to three Caribbean immigrants living in Brooklyn — and then threatened to report them to Uncle Sam when they demanded their money back, according to Kings County’s top prosecutor.
“This defendant is accused of preying on some of the most vulnerable members of our society who were victimized as they attempted to comply with federal laws,” said District Attorney Eric Gonzalez. “I am committed to protecting all Brooklyn residents, regardless of their status, and caution everyone to be careful who they hire when seeking immigration services.”
The victims, who hail from St. Kitts and Jamaica, hired Archibald in October 2016 to process and expedite their applications with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services’ to obtain the coveted legal documents, but claim they waited more than a year and half for the Canarsie man to meet his end of the bargain.
When the victims started clamoring for their money back, Archibald threatened to report them to the feds if they didn’t pipe down, according to Gonzalez.
Instead, two of the victims reported him to the district attorney’s office, and he was arraigned before Brooklyn Criminal Court Judge Joseph McCormack on June 10 for charges including third- and fourth-degree grand larceny; first-degree scheme to defraud; first-degree immigration assistance services fraud; and fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property.
He was released without bail and will appear in court on Aug. 8.
