Overview
- Federal authorities returned an indictment and arrested Alla Karash Nowowiejski, who pleaded not guilty at her initial federal court appearance on Wednesday and was released on bond.
- Prosecutors allege she took clients’ fees to file work‑visa and status applications but never filed them or filed only parts, and that she gave clients fake documents and other people’s case reference numbers to hide the failures.
- The indictment says she caused at least one client to submit unneeded vaccination records to USCIS and submitted medical records she knew contained materially false statements.
- Harris County Precinct One led the probe with help from the DHS inspector general, the Postal Service OIG and USCIS, and investigators say their wider review identified more than 100 people who may have been victimized.
- Nowowiejski faces up to 20 years and $250,000 in fines on the mail fraud count and up to five years and $100,000 on the false‑statement count, and officials urge possible victims to check USCIS receipt numbers, get their case files reviewed, or contact Precinct One for help.