WASHINGTON,  D. C. -- A man recently convicted in Maryland of committing fraud against immigrants will be subject to a D.C. Court of Appeals Consent Order that prohibits him from describing himself as a provider of “immigration services” or providing advice on U.S. immigration law, D.C. Attorney General Irvin B. Nathan announced today.  

Ramon Octavio Escarfullet, Sr., agreed to the Consent Order after an investigation by the D.C. Court of Appeals Committee on Unauthorized Practice of Law into whether he provided immigrants in D.C. with legal advice on U.S. immigration law, even though he was not licensed to practice law in D.C. or any state.  

Escarfullet, who worked out of offices in the Manor Park neighborhood in Northwest D.C. and on University Boulevard in Silver Spring, Maryland, distributed flyers claiming that he could help immigrants who have lived in the U.S. for 10 years to become permanent residents.  Instead, Escarfullet advised clients to take steps that exposed them to deportation proceedings.         

On October 1, Escarfullet was sentenced to six months in jail after pleading guilty to misdemeanor charges brought by the State’s Attorney in Montgomery County, Maryland.  As part of that plea agreement, which followed coordinated investigations by Maryland and District authorities, Escarfullet agreed to the Consent Order in D.C.  The government investigations were aided by AYUDA, a D.C.-based nonprofit that advocates for immigrants.        

The D.C. Consent Order provides that it may be enforced by the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia, which participated in the multi-agency investigation of Escarfullet.  

“We will continue to work closely with local advocates for the immigrant community to investigate and bring to justice those who prey on immigrants who, due to their undocumented status, may be afraid to report that they are victims of fraud,” Attorney General Nathan said.