'Bogus' Luton solicitor jailed for selling fraudulent immigration advice

A bogus immigration lawyer from Luton who was banned from practising has been jailed for seven-and-a-half years for exploiting at least 19 victims.

Flora Mendes, of Hitchin Road, duped victims into thinking they were using a legitimate immigration lawyer, promising to help them stay in the UK.

But she had already been stripped of her licence to practice after a previous conviction – and took payments to make fraudulent applications with no chance of success.

The 45-year-old, who is originally from India, had assets worth over £700,000 taken by the Home Office after her conviction at St Albans Crown today (May 3).

The Home Office linked 19 bogus applications back to the defendant. Mendes was struck off as a solicitor in 2015 after she was convicted of providing immigration advice whilst suspended from practising law.

Minister for Illegal Migration, Michael Tomlinson MP, said: “This sentencing shows the effective and relentless work to dismantle the networks of people helping illegal migrants stay in the UK. Those suspected of abusing our immigration system for profit will be swiftly brought to justice.”

Andrew Radcliffe of the Home Office’s Criminal and Financial Investigations team said: “The strong sentence is testament to our efforts to clamp down on these unregulated advisers through targeted operations. I encourage all members of the public to flag any potential intelligence to us so we can follow it up accordingly.”