An Arlington lawyer who allegedly filed 2,700 phony immigration documents
as part of a scam that brought in more than $11 million was indicted by a
federal grand jury on 38 counts of conspiracy, fraud, making false
statements and money laundering, according to court papers unsealed yesterday.

The grand jury indicted Samuel G. Kooritzky, 63, of Vienna on Monday,
alleging that he and a business associate repeatedly filed false
certification papers with the U.S. Department of Labor while trying to help
hundreds of immigrants get green cards. The applications claimed that
individual restaurants could not find U.S. workers and were sponsoring
immigrants for the positions, while the restaurants apparently knew nothing
of the arrangement.

Along with unsealing the indictment yesterday, prosecutors also made public
that the associate -- Ronald W. Bogardus, 65, of Arlington -- pleaded
guilty last month to one count each of conspiracy, labor certification
fraud and money laundering. Bogardus, who helped find clients for Kooritzky
and set up the paperwork, is cooperating with prosecutors and could face up
to 10 years in prison. His attorney, Matthew Wartel, did not return calls
yesterday.

Federal prosecutors in Alexandria say that Kooritzky charged immigrants as
much as $30,000 for filing the paperwork, while telling them that the
process was legitimate.

Officials estimate that Kooritzky, the head of the Capital Law Centers in
Arlington, Langley Park and the District, and his associate made between
$11 million and $21 million in 18 months.

The applications, filed between October 2000 and last July, highlight the
problems federal officials face when trying to deal with abuse of
immigration laws.

"We have learned from the attacks of September 11th that identity and
immigration fraud are part of the terrorists' play book," U.S. Attorney
Paul J. McNulty said in a statement yesterday. "This case illustrates the
commitment of this office to protect the integrity of America's
identification, document and immigration procedures."

Reached at his office yesterday, Kooritzky declined to comment. His
attorney, Brian Shaughnessy, said Kooritzky is prepared to challenge the
charges.

"I haven't heard what the government has said and I haven't seen the
indictment yet," Shaughnessy said yesterday. "We anticipate that Mr.
Kooritzky's position will be vindicated."

According to the indictment, Bogardus was in large part responsible for
gathering information about businesses and potential clients and then
forwarding the paperwork to Kooritzky for processing. According to the
papers filed in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Bogardus would go to
businesses and talk to managers about sponsoring immigrants and hiring
cooks. Later, the managers' names and signatures would appear on dozens of
fraudulent applications, the indictment says.

The pair used such restaurants as Applebee's, Chili's, Denny's, Hooters,
Outback Steakhouse, Shoney's and Silver Diner, allegedly without authorization.

At one point, Bogardus went to India and later prepared applications for 34
immigrants, claiming that they were all graduates of cooking schools in New
Delhi and Chennai who were going to work for a Chili's Restaurant in
Springfield, the court papers say.

Kooritzky also allegedly filed 184 requests for labor certifications from a
Silver Diner restaurant in Arlington for short-order cooks. None of the
agencies reviewing the paperwork noticed the sudden demand for foreign
workers at one restaurant.

The indictment also claims that Kooritzky filed multiple applications on
behalf of individual clients, hoping to sell the extra applications to
others for cash.

A Labor Department special agent testified in July that agents found about
$1 million in cash stuffed into a suitcase in Bogardus's Arlington
apartment and that he had three passports and a $2.5 million bank account.
He is being held without bail until his sentencing.