Immigration lawyer admits breaking law to help client, gets 2 years of probation
An award-winning Georgia immigration lawyer who was facing felony charges for allegedly facilitating a client’s visa fraud has taken a misdemeanor plea.
Attorney Bonnie Youn, 46, was sentenced Tuesday to two years of probation and a $5,245 fine. She also will not practice law during that period, the Daily Report (sub. req.) says. Youn had received a White House award as a “Champion of Change” in 2013 for her work on immigration reform, but the honor was rescinded after her indictment, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported in 2014.
“The road to hell is paved with good intentions,” Youn said prior to sentencing in the Atlanta case. “Lawyers are trained to be zealous advocates for our clients. The process of obtaining U.S. permanent residence is long and arduous and not always clear for immigrants. In passionately pursuing the American dream for one of my clients, I crossed the line. I broke the law, and I must pay the price. Let this be a cautionary tale to all my brothers and sisters in the law—that they may not yield to the same temptation.”
In her aiding and abetting plea she admitted advising a client who was not a Georgia resident about how to get a Georgia driver’s license. Youn was originally charged with facilitating a client’s visa fraud, intimidating witnesses and harboring an illegal immigrant.
An earlier Department of Justice news release provides more information about the case.
