CBSA lays immigration fraud charges in 2 Winnipeg cases

Charges have been laid in two separate Winnipeg immigration fraud cases.

On Friday the Canada Border Services Agency said Chinenye (Victor) Alozie, 33, of Winnipeg, and Zhihao Jia, 26, formerly of Winnipeg, are each facing a list of charges.

The CBSA alleges Alozie and Jia separately charged fees as unauthorized immigration consultants and counselled their clients to misrepresent their situations on immigration applications.

The allegations against Alozie date between July 2014 and June 2019, and Jia’s alleged offences happened between February 2017 and April 2019, the CBSA says.

“Our country’s immigration system is built on fairness and equal opportunity,” said the CBSA’s Brad Wozny, in a release.

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“The charges announced today send a clear signal that taking advantage of immigrants for financial gain will not be tolerated.”

The CBSA says only authorized representatives can charge fees to represent or advise people on their immigration applications.

Both Alozie and Jia are scheduled to appear in provincial court in Winnipeg later this month.

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