MANHATTAN (CN) - A Manhattan immigration attorney, Hak Tung Lam, admitted he helped smuggle "dozens of Chinese nationals into the United States" and filed false documents for them, federal prosecutors said. Lam made more than $750,000 from the racket.
Lam, 44, pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiring to induce aliens to enter the United States illegally, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
"From October 2006 to February 2009, Lam worked with others to smuggle dozens of Chinese nationals into the United States," the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a statement. "During that time, Lam provided legal and logistical advice to alien smugglers and made false immigration filings on behalf of the smuggled aliens. Among other things, Lam recommended ports of entry, advised on methods of avoiding detection, filed false immigration documents, and obtained the release of detained aliens through fraud. He earned over $750,000 for his participation in the smuggling ring."
Lam faces up to 10 years in prison at his March 23, 2012 sentencing. And he agreed to fork over $750,000 to the United States.
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