Snakehead Lawyer, Wife Plead Guilty
By Robert Gearty, Daily News Staff Writer
Originally published in the New York Daily News, February 12, 2002
A Chinatown lawyer and his pregnant wife pleaded guilty yesterday to helping notorious smugglers known as snakeheads bring thousands of illegal immigrants into the United States from China.
Robert Porges, 63, and Sheery Lu Porges, 49, admitted providing assistance to the snakeheads by filing thousands of phony political asylum claims with the Immigration and Naturalization Service on behalf of smuggled illegal aliens.
The Harvard-educated Porges and his wife pleaded guilty to two counts of racketeering conspiracy and one count of tax fraud before Manhattan Federal Court Judge Denise Cote.
Porges had been the head of the city's biggest political asylum practice, working out of a law office near the heart of Chinatown.
$40,000 a Head
When the Golden Venture freighter ran ashore off Queens in 1993, drawing international attention, it was Porges who represented most of the stowaways aboard the rusty vessel.
Porges, his wife and four members of his firm were indicted in September 2000 for their alleged illegal association with the snakeheads after a three-year probe.
According to the indictment, the snakeheads charged $40,000 for each Chinese immigrant smuggled into the U.S. and resorted to violence when their fees went unpaid.
In August, another indictment was brought against Porges and his wife, adding more charges and naming six more members of the firm as defendants.
Porges filed political asylum claims with the INS on behalf of illegal immigrants brought to him by the snakeheads on grounds of political and religious persecution.
"Many of the stories had a basis in fact, but false details were added to improve the chances of political asylum," he said in admitting his guilt.
Millions in Fees
Sheery Lu Porges told Cote that she and her husband helped snakeheads track down illegal immigrants after they were released on bail from INS detention facilities.
Porges collected $13.5 million in fees from the snakeheads for his assistance, prosecutors said.
As part of the plea deal, the couple agreed to forfeit $6 million, including their Connecticut mansion and $2.1 million seized at the time of their arrest.
Each faces from six years and six months to eight years and one month at sentencing May 17.
Under the plea agreement, Sheery Lu Porges won't begin serving her prison sentence until after she gives birth to twins.
Porges' lawyer Larry Bronson said his client had little choice but to plead guilty after the government lined up cooperation agreements with a number of law firm employees and snakeheads.
"The sheer weight of the government's case made a defense impossible," Bronson said.
He added: "They are going to jail for conduct that is basically condoned every day by people in this business."
