Local law firm welcomes two new additions
Practice Focuses
The law firm of Cunningham, Mitchell & Rocconi welcomes two attorneys, Elizabeth "Sissy" Rankin and Roman Hankins.
Rankin returns to the firm after serving as a General Sessions and Juvenile Court judge in Montgomery County.
Hankins returns to his hometown after graduating from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville with a bachelor of business administration degree and a doctor of jurisprudence.
"We are very honored to have both Sissy and Roman join us," said Jack Mitchell, senior partner of the firm, in a news release. "Sissy's experience as a judge brings additional value to the litigation practices of our firm, and we are excited about Roman's potential after graduating UT with honors."
Larry Rocconi, another partner of the firm, sees additional opportunities for growth with the new hires. "We have been very fortunate in this economy to have an active practice and loyal clients. By getting Sissy back and bringing Roman on board, we can continue to provide existing and new clients with a high level of service in a timely fashion."
Rankin and Hankins said they share in the enthusiasm at Cunningham, Mitchell & Rocconi. "When my term as General Sessions judge ended, I knew that I wanted to come back to a strong law firm with a great reputation, both among lawyers and the community as a whole. I'm proud to be back with these gentlemen."
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Thai National Sentenced, Faces Deportation for Operating Immigration Fraud Scheme
Nimon Naphaeng, 36, a native and citizen of Thailand, who resided in Wakefield, R.I., was sentenced Monday to 27 months in federal prison for running an immigration fraud scheme that defrauded more than 320 individuals, most of them immigrants, of at least $400,000, and perhaps more than $518,000.
The scheme included the unauthorized filing of false asylum applications on behalf of individuals who did not request, nor authorize, the applications.
“U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services does not tolerate immigration fraud of any kind,” said Susan Raufer, director of the USCIS Newark Asylum Office. “We are proud of our role in uncovering this fraud scheme and bringing the perpetrator to justice.”
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith ordered a provisional amount of restitution of $400,000. The final amount of restitution will be determined subject to additional victims being identified and additional court filings over the next 90 days. According to court documents already filed by the government, restitution in this matter may exceed $518,300. During the investigation, the government seized $285,789.31 from Naphaeng. The forfeited funds will be applied toward restitution for victims of Naphaeng’s crimes.