CCE Leads Presentation on Notario Fraud
CCE Leads Presentation on Notario Fraud to Maryland Circuit Court Judges
On October 6, CCE led a presentation before Maryland Circuit Court Judges in Montgomery County on the issue of notario or legal consultant fraud. This presentation included experts Michelle Mendez, Chair of the American Immigration Lawyers Association Consumer Protection and Unauthorized Practice of Law (UPL) National Committee and Senior Managing Attorney at Catholic Charities, and Cynthia Wright, Chair of the DC UPL Committee and Assistant US Attorney for DC. During this presentation, experts explained the civil and legal protections provided under the law in protecting the public from these scam artists. They also shared ways that jurisdictions can collaborate around investigations and referring UPL complaints.
Shortly before this CCE-led presentation, Ramon Escarfullet, a notario in Montgomery County, entered a guilty plea on October 1st to one count of fraud involving the unauthorized practice of law in Maryland. He was ordered to pay more than $8,000 to 4 victims and sentenced to six months in jail. As part of his plea agreement, he signed a DC Committee on Unauthorized Practice of Law consent agreement stating that he would never practice law or engage in notario fraud in the District of Columbia.
CCE commends the local coordination efforts that took place across jurisdictions including the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, DC Office of the Attorney General, DC UPL Committee and Ayuda. This coordination exemplifies the purpose of CCE’s Notario Fraud Identification and Enforcement Workgroup which continues to meet bimonthly and includes these above-mentioned stakeholders and others working to combat this type of fraud.
