U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs recently announced that a Melissa resident was convicted and sentenced to federal prison for offenses in the Eastern District of Texas.
According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), Nnenna Mary Jones, aged 40, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and received a 14-month prison term from U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan on Dec. 20, 2023. Additionally, Jones is required to pay restitution totaling $16,950 to the Texas Muslim Women’s Foundation, where she was formerly employed.
Jones, formerly a paralegal at the foundation, held the status of a Department of Justice Accredited Representative. This accreditation allowed her to represent clients in immigration court proceedings with the Department of Homeland Security. Jones was also a licensed attorney in Nigeria before relocating to the U.S.
According to the DOJ, the legal team of the foundation routinely seeks waivers for specific fees incurred by clients during the immigration process, with a majority of clients qualifying for such exemptions. In cases where clients are ineligible for fee waivers, the foundation occasionally covers the fees on their behalf. However, Jones falsely informed foundation clients that they were obligated to pay certain fees directly to the government for their immigration proceedings. In reality, these fees were either waived by the government or were paid by the foundation.
Clients, following Jones's instructions, wrote checks and obtained money orders matching the amounts she claimed they owed to the government. Jones directed clients to leave the "pay to" line on the checks and money orders blank. Jones then made photocopies of the checks and money orders, adding "U.S. Department of Homeland Security" to the "pay to" line on the copies, which she then placed in the clients' files. Meanwhile, Jones inscribed her own name on the "pay to" line of the clients' original checks and money orders, subsequently cashing or depositing them into her personal accounts.’’
The Plano-based Texas Muslim Women’s Foundation provides support to Muslim women and their families who have experienced domestic and family violence. The foundation also extends various services to its clients, including in-house legal aid for immigration matters. Notably, the Foundation emphasizes that all its services, including immigration legal assistance, are offered free of charge.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean J. Taylor.
