HIALEAH, Fla. – A 49-year-old man from Hialeah was arrested Tuesday after he posed as an immigration attorney and scammed a woman from Alabama.
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According to Hialeah police, in early March, the victim traveled to South Florida from Alabama and went to Rafael Moreno’s office, located at 1625 Palm Ave., after an unidentified man in a grocery store in Hialeah had sold her relative Moreno’s business card for $500, claiming that Moreno was an immigration attorney who could help their family with asylum applications.
Police said the victim went to the “Moreno Insurance” office and Moreno identified himself as an attorney.
According to the report, Moreno advised the woman that he could help her with an asylum application for $170.
The victim told police Moreno also prepared and notarized all of her husband’s immigration documents without her husband being present, which made her suspicious about whether he actually was a licensed attorney.
Police said after providing the victim with copies of the completed and notarized documents he prepared for her and her husband, he told her to return in September with an additional $450 to continue the process.
According to the report, the victim filed a police report on April 7 with the Hialeah Police Department, telling detectives she was concerned about whether Moreno was a licensed attorney.
Detectives then contacted the Florida Bar, which confirmed that he does not have an active license in the state of Florida to practice law.
“Further, a permanent injunction was issued by the Florida Supreme Court on December 16, 2024, prohibiting the defendant from engaging in the unlicensed practice of law,” the arrest report stated.
According to the report, an undercover detective went to Moreno’s office on April 16 and Moreno offered him “full legal assistance on an asylum claim,” and then prepared the detective documents for $100.
Police said while meeting with the undercover detective, Moreno claimed that he was an attorney with 15 years of experience and pointed to diplomas on the wall.
He was arrested at his office Tuesday on charges of practicing law without a license and unlawful use of notary commission.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Moreno was no longer appearing in the online jail database.