Enforcement & FraudUSCIS#Enforcement & fraud#Employment immigration & EAD

Houston Immigration Attorney Arrested, Charged With Fraud and False Statements

Published Sep 17, 2026

USCIS says it assisted an investigation that led to the indictment and arrest of a Houston area immigration attorney accused of defrauding clients seeking work visas. The attorney allegedly took payment to file work status and visa applications but never filed them, or only filed them partially, while giving clients fake documents and case reference numbers.

Key points

Alla Nowowiejski, 44, is charged with mail fraud and false statements by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Texas.
She is accused of accepting payment from clients to help establish or adjust work status and apply for work visas.
The indictment alleges she never filed some applications, or filed them only in part, while telling clients the cases were being processed.
She allegedly gave clients false documents and reference numbers tied to unrelated immigration cases to make it appear their applications were active.
If convicted, she faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible fine of up to $250,000.
The case was investigated by the DHS Office of Inspector General and U.S. Postal Service OIG, with assistance from USCIS and local law enforcement.

Who is affected

Clients of this attorney who sought help with work status or work visa applications, and the broader public considering use of immigration attorneys.

What to do

Anyone who suspects immigration benefit fraud can report it to USCIS using the USCIS Tip Form; the attorney is presumed innocent unless convicted.

Full text

The complete official text was archived on this site on 2026-10-12. It stays available here even if the source link changes or is removed.

Release Date

09/17/2026

HOUSTON — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services provided pivotal assistance to an investigation leading to the indictment and arrest of a Houston area immigration attorney. Alla Nowowiejski, 44, is charged with mail fraud and false statements in relation to her job as an immigration attorney. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas announced the charges.

According to the indictment, Nowowiejski accepted payments from clients to assist them with establishing or adjusting their work status and applying for work visas. However, she allegedly never submitted the applications or only submitted them in part.

The indictment further alleges Nowowiejski provided clients with false documents or reference numbers associated with active immigration cases unrelated to her clients. She allegedly used the documents and reference numbers to make the clients believe immigration authorities were processing their applications.

If convicted, Nowowiejski faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible maximum fine of $250,000. An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

The Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Postal Service OIG conducted the investigation with assistance from USCIS and the Harris County Constable’s Office, Precinct 1.

To report suspected immigration benefit fraud or abuse to USCIS, please use the USCIS Tip Form.

For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit uscis.gov or follow us on X, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn.

09/17/2026

Original title: Immigration Attorney Arrested in Alleged Fraud Scheme
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This summary was produced with AI from the official announcement. Only the official source is authoritative.

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