Dallas immigration lawyer sentenced to 24 months in federal prison on aggravated identity theft conviction

DALLAS — A Dallas immigration attorney was sentenced Thursday to 24 months in federal prison following her guilty plea in August to a federal felony offense stemming from her work in representing aliens, that is, non-U.S. citizens, before U.S. Citizen and Immigration Service (USCIS).

This sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.  U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Irving (Texas) Police Department, and USCIS investigated this case.

Sherin Thawer, 45, pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated identity theft.  She was initially on pre-trial release following her arrest on an indictment in February; however, she has been in custody since June 15, when the Court revoked her pre-trial release after finding she violated its conditions by continuing to practice immigration law.

According to documents filed in the case, Thawer represented aliens before USCIS when they were applying for various types of visas to enter or remain in the U.S., including through a U Nonimmigrant Status or U-Visa.  To be eligible for a U-Visa, the alien must have been a victim of a certain crime, suffered mental or physical abuse because of the crime, and helped law enforcement with investigating and/or prosecuting the crime.  In addition to the U-Visa application, applicants must submit a Law Enforcement Certification form completed and signed by the certifying official for the law enforcement agency that investigated and/or prosecuted the crime for which the alien was a victim.

On or about March 21, 2012, Thawer, without authority, knowingly used the name and badge number of a specific police officer to complete the Law Enforcement Certification form that was submitted with a U-Visa application.  She knew the officer had not completed the form and that his signature on the form was forged.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Gividen and Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Wiley prosecuted this case.