Worker at immigration law firm guilty of fraud

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A Brazilian man who worked as a paralegal at a Stamford firm that specialized in immigration law has pleaded guilty to document fraud.

Federal prosecutors say 56-year-old Fernando Goncalves knowingly filed fraudulent visa applications for foreign nationals.

In the cases of eight clients, Goncalves allegedly submitted applications containing false statements and fraudulent documents. Authorities say each of the clients paid him more than $7,000.

Goncalves pleaded guilty on Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Hartford. He faces up to 10 years in prison.

He has been detained since he was arrested in June at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York after returning from a trip to Brazil.