EXPERIENCED ATTORNEYS in New York City & Beyond

A Cohen Forman Barone client who has spent over twenty years in fear of being deported back to Peru is finally a lawful permanent resident. Christian Levis was first placed in removal proceedings in 2017 when ICE detained him after dropping his daughter off at school. While Mr. Levis had first arrived in the United States at the age of 16 on a tourist visa and later in life married a U.S. citizen who he has built a family with, his attempts at obtaining his green card always fell short due to a 1993 arrest. After years of litigation, Mr. Levis finally had his case heard by an immigration judge, who granted his application for legal residency. He is now a lawful permanent resident and will be eligible to apply for naturalization in three years.

On March 30, 2020 the I-751 Petition to Remove Conditions on Permanent Residence was Approved for CFB client. The application was determined to be strong enough on documentary evidence to waive the standard in-person interview and client now awaiting a ten-year lawful permanent resident card (green card) in the mail.

On March 30, 2020, the I-765 Application for Employment Authorization Renewal was granted for CFB client. Client’s current card was set to expire in late April 2020 and client was very grateful and relieved to know she will have her new current card well in advance.

Client was charged with Medicaid fraud. She had been convicted for a very similar crime many years earlier and now, as a licensed professional, she faced severe collateral consequences beyond those of the criminal justice system if she were convicted of these charges or if she had to spend any time incarcerated. Client came to us after meeting with and paying her prior counsel. Because the client had the prior misdemeanor conviction, also negotiated off a felony from years before, she was told by her first counsel on our case that she would have to plead guilty to this felony and probably do some jail time as well. Attorney Cohen put together a mitigation package, supported by letters from friends, proof of charity work, proof of employment, letters from employers and other “good deed/character” letters and documents that I submitted to the prosecutor’s office. The prosecutor’s office expressed their admiration of the mitigation package, calling it the best they had seen, and allowed my client to plead to a misdemeanor and dismissed the felony. Client risked losing her license, losing her opportunity for future employment and being unable to continue her payments for rent. She was distraught and close to breakdown when we met. She was elated, hysterically happy and very thankful.

After speaking with police and prosecutors while the client was in custody; CFB lawyers effectuated the release of the client and helped prevent charges from ever being filed. This was a case that exemplified the benefits of getting experienced counsel involved immediately. After the client’s fiancé falsely accused him of threatening and intimidating her she called the police to have him arrested and charged so she could receive an order of protection. Any charges brought or any order of protection being issued would have wreaked havoc on the client’s life and his career. CFB criminal lawyers contacted NYPD and the Manhattan prosecutor’s office to explain the underpinnings of the false allegations. While the client was in the custody of the NYC department of corrections, CFB criminal lawyers were able to convince the state that no crime was actually committed and the client was released from custody before any charges were formally filed.

CFB attorneys, paralegals and support staff recently won a post-conviction motion for our client, a Columbian national. Client’s prior criminal conviction had rendered him deportable and prevented him from adjusting his status in the U.S. He was on a fast track to being removed from the United States before retaining Cohen Forman Barone. After submitting an extremely comprehensive post-conviction relief motion highlighting client’s circumstances, CFB attorneys were able to convince the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office to join in the motion to vacate client’s prior criminal conviction. The court granted the motion to vacate, allowing client to remain in the United States without the fear of being removed.

Cohen Forman Barone is excited to announce the approval of another waiver on inadmissibility. The client had been present in the U.S. for many years before returning to his native country, Colombia, several years ago. After leaving the U.S. he was barred from returning due to his prior unlawful presence. While living In Colombia, his US Citizen's mother experienced a quick and substantial decline in her health. The urgency for the client to return to the U.S. and serve as her full-time caretaker became desperate. CFB assessed this situation and quickly assembled a robust waiver application package. The application was presented to USCIS who approved it, setting up the client's ability to rejoin his mother and other loved ones here in the U.S., when they need him most.

A CFB client was haunted by a warrant, exactly 20 years old, that left ignored would put him at risk of losing crucial job opportunities. With the case being decades old, there was concern as to how quickly the case could be heard by a judge and whether the client would need to travel across the country during a pandemic. With the expertise of David J. Cohen, the case was heard virtually within two weeks of CFB being hired, with all counts being dismissed. The results of this case were a direct outcome of David J. Cohen’s persistence and compassion. At CFB, attorneys understand that even one additional day of having criminal charges can greatly impact someone’s life.

Juan Carlos had been living in the United States as a green card holder for the past ten years. His world was rocked when he was arrested for allegedly burglarizing his ex wife’s apartment. The judge set an excessive bail, which Juan Carlos’s family could not afford. The District Attorney’s Office was offering to dismiss the burglary charge, which carried a minimum sentence of three and a half years in state prison. In exchange Juan Carlos would have had to pled guilty to attempted burglary and be sentenced to five years of probation. He rejected the offer because a guilty plea would have resulted in his deportation from the United States. After a ten-day trial a jury acquitted Juan Carlos of the charges. He was released from criminal custody and is still living lawfully in the United States.