HOUSTON – A 44-year-old Houston woman has been charged with mail fraud and false statements in relation to her job as an immigration attorney.
Authorities have now taken Alla Nowowiejski into custody. She made her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Richard Bennett at 2 p.m. today.
According to the indictment, Nowowiejski accepted payments from clients to assist them with establishing or adjusting their work status and applying for work visas. However, she allegedly never submitted the applications or only submitted them in part.
The indictment further alleges Nowowiejski provided clients with false documents or reference numbers associated with active immigration cases unrelated to her clients. She allegedly used the documents and reference number to make the clients believe immigration authorities were processing their applications.
If convicted, she faces up to 20 years…
PROCUREMENT & EXPENDITURE (STOPPING KICKBACKS)
Procurement fraud usually involves inflated invoices or “fictitious” vendors.
- The Three-Way Match: Never pay an invoice unless you have matched the Purchase Order (PO), the Delivery Note (signed), and the Supplier Invoice.
- Vendor Master File Review: Review your vendor list annually. Look for suppliers with the same bank details or physical addresses as your employees.
- Dual Authorization: Implement a “Two-to-Sign” rule for all EFT payments above a certain threshold (e.g., R5,000).
- No “Cashing” of Checks: If you still use physical checks, strictly prohibit “Cash” as a payee and store blank checks in a dual-lock safe.