An immigration attorney practicing in Massachusetts and Rhode Island has admitted to wire fraud and tax evasion related to defrauding his clients out of nearly $100,000 through legal services not actually provided.
Providence-based attorney Joseph Molina-Flynn, 43, pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday to one count of wire fraud and one count of tax evasion, FBI Boston says.
The Rhode Island U.S. Attorney’s Office says Molina- Flynn admitted to executing a scheme to defraud his immigration clients by collecting legal and filing fees for services he never performed, even providing some of his victims with false information related to the status of their immigration matters. He carried out the scheme between 2019 and 2023, netting approximately $98,000.
Prosecutors say Molina-Flynn then used the fraudulently collected cash to keep his law practice afloat and for personal expenses.
He also admitted to failing to file a federal income tax return for 2021, as well as taking steps to conceal income and payroll tax obligations, including using his law firm’s operating account to pay personal expenses.
Under the terms of his plea agreement, Molina-Flynn is required to pay $83,265 in restitution to victims of his wire fraud scheme. He must also file accurate delinquent federal tax returns for tax years 2019 through 2023 and pay the U.S. Treasury outstanding federal taxes, interest, and penalties.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office says it will recommend at sentencing that the tax loss attributable to Molina-Flynn’s tax evasion is at least $550,000 but less than $1.5 million.
Molina-Flynn faces up to 25 years in prison along with potential fines and periods of supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for December 17.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Providence Police, and the FBI all participated in the investigation.
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