Houston immigration attorney indicted over alleged application fraud A Houston immigration attorney has been federally indicted on mail fraud and false statement charges after prosecutors alleged she took client payments, failed to properly file immigration applications, and misled people about case progress. A Houston immigration attorney is facing federal charges after prosecutors accused her of taking money from clients for immigration services while allegedly failing to properly complete their applications and then misleading them about the status of their cases. Alla Nowowiejski was indicted in federal court on one count of mail fraud and one count of making false statements. The charges say she accepted payments from people seeking help establishing or adjusting their work status, applying for work visas, or pursuing other immigration benefits, but did not file the necessary paperwork or submitted only part of the required documents.Investigators with Harris County Precinct 1 said the broader inquiry identified more than 100 potential victims and warned that additional people in the community may still be affected. Authorities have not disclosed the identities of the alleged victims or the total amount of money Nowowiejski is accused of collecting. The federal indictment details allegations involving two clients, while the county investigation has identified a much larger group of possible victims.Investigators have not said how many of those additional cases are directly connected to the conduct charged in the indictment. Prosecutors allege that Nowowiejski told clients their immigration applications were being processed even when they were not. In some instances, she reportedly gave clients false documents or reference numbers connected to active immigration cases belonging to other people. According to prosecutors, those details were used to create the appearance that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services was handling the clients' applications.The alleged scheme left some people believing their cases were moving forward when, authorities say, the paperwork had not been properly submitted or completed. The indictment also includes specific allegations about how Nowowiejski allegedly handled documents. Prosecutors say she caused one client to mail unnecessary vaccination records to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. She is also accused of submitting medical records for two clients while falsely claiming that USCIS had requested the information.Harris County Precinct 1 detectives began the investigation and later worked with the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, and USCIS. Authorities said it remains unclear how many clients may have missed immigration deadlines, lost legal status, or suffered other consequences because their paperwork was allegedly not filed correctly.Officials have not announced whether additional charges are expected as the investigation continues and as investigators look for possible victims who may not yet realize there is a problem with their immigration matters. The allegations have not been proven in court, and Nowowiejski is entitled to challenge the charges. Harris County Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen said immigrants already face many difficulties and should not be exploited by lawyers who deceive them.Rosen said investigators stepped in to stop Nowowiejski from allegedly continuing to take advantage of the community. He encouraged anyone who believes they were affected to come forward and said Precinct 1 serves victims regardless of immigration status. Houston immigration attorney Raed Gonzalez said clients in immigration matters can be especially vulnerable because they are trusting a lawyer with both their money and their ability to remain legally in the United States.Gonzalez said some alleged victims may hesitate to report possible fraud because they fear that contact with law enforcement could create problems for their own immigration status. He said fear of police interaction often prevents people from reporting this type of offense. Gonzalez recommended that anyone concerned about an immigration case take their documents to another reputable immigration attorney for an independent review.Clients can also enter their receipt numbers through the official USCIS case status system to verify whether an application was submitted and to check its progress. He said clients are entitled to their legal files. If an attorney refuses to provide those records, clients can request copies directly from USCIS and compare them with the documents they received from the attorney.Authorities also advised people to verify that an attorney is eligible to practice through the appropriate state bar before paying for legal services. Anyone who believes they were victimized by Nowowiejski is asked to contact the Harris County Precinct 1 Constable's Office at 713-755-5200. Nowowiejski was arrested and made her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Richard Bennett on Wednesday