Suburban attorney accused of lying to help Iraqi asylum-seekers

A suburban attorney and his translator were arrested Tuesday on federal charges of immigration fraud after authorities say they falsified requests for asylum from a dozen foreign nationals.

In some of the cases, the suspects falsely claimed their clients were seeking asylum because they'd been subjected to religious persecution by Islamic extremists in Iraq, according to prosecutors.

The attorney, Robert DeKelaita, 51, of Glenview, and his contract interpreter, Adam Benjamin, 61, of Skokie, were each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit immigration and naturalization fraud.

Additionally, DeKelaita was charged with three counts each of immigration fraud and suborning perjury, a charge of allowing a client to lie under oath. Benjamin was charged with two counts each of immigration fraud and suborning perjury.

Both pleaded not guilty in federal court in Chicago Tuesday and were released on their own recognizance. Their next court date is Jan. 7.

The woman who answered the phone at DeKelaita's Morton Grove law office declined to comment.

In a 2008 Los Angeles Times story, DeKelaita - identified as an Iraqi-born Christian raised in the U.S. and fluent in Aramaic - is featured for dedicating his law practice to helping persecuted Iraqi Christians.

Federal agents executed a search warrant Tuesday at DeKelaita's law offices, R.W. DeKelaita & Associates, on the 5800 block of West Dempster Street in Morton Grove. The immigration status of DeKelaita's clients will be reviewed by the Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General, said Armando Lopez, special agent-in-charge of the department's Chicago office.

According to the indictment, DeKelaita and Benjamin, in exchange for fees, agreed to submit false information to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services between 2000 and 2011 on behalf of clients who were foreign nationals. They also are accused of coaching these clients on how to best present false information during asylum interviews.

A person granted asylum may later seek lawful permanent residence in the United States, and eventually, naturalized U.S. citizenship.

Authorities say DeKelaita completed immigration forms using false names, religions, travel dates, family histories and other information. He is accused of creating false asylum statements detailing fictitious accounts of purported religious persecution, including false accounts of rape and murder, the charges allege.

Benjamin intentionally mistranslated answers given by clients and added testimony not actually stated by them, in an effort to secure asylum on their behalf, authorities say.

If convicted, DeKelaita and Benjamin could face jail time and fines of more than $500,000.