Home Economy Government Law license of R.I. immigration attorney accused of fraud temporarily suspended

Law license of R.I. immigration attorney accused of fraud temporarily suspended

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PBN Staff

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10/07/2025

eDpKSeRA-gavel — THE R.I. SUPREME Court has temporarily suspended the law license of a Rhode Island immigration attorney and former judge who was accused of professional misconduct after allegedly defrauding 10 clients out of thousands of dollars each. /PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS FILE PHOTO

PROVIDENCE – The law license of a Rhode Island immigration attorney and former judge who was accused of professional misconduct after allegedly defrauding 10 clients out of thousands of dollars each has been temporarily suspended. The R.I. Supreme Court on Oct. 3 issued a decision barring Joseph Molina Flynn, who has law offices in Providence

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PROVIDENCE – The law license of a Rhode Island immigration attorney and former judge who was accused of professional misconduct after allegedly defrauding 10 clients out of thousands of dollars each has been temporarily suspended. The R.I. Supreme Court on Oct. 3 issued a decision barring Joseph Molina Flynn, who has law offices in Providence and Boston, from practicing law in Rhode Island, according to the report. The order is temporary pending a full hearing scheduled for Oct. 9. A court-appointed attorney will take over Molina Flynn’s client files and have full access to his former office and documents, according to the order, WPRI-TV CBS 12 reported. Molina Flynn reportedly received payments from the clients to file important immigration documents on their behalf, such as work permits and asylum applications. However, he failed to do so despite accepting the money, according to the accusations levied against him, which were outlined in a detailed, 10-count petition submitted by R.I. Chief Disciplinary Counsel Kerry Reilley Travers to the R.I. Supreme Court on May 12. Molina Flynn reportedly used his own status as a Spanish-speaking immigrant from Colombia, who himself was undocumented for 15 years before obtaining citizenship, to create a sense of trust and confidence amongst the victims, the petition states. The petition described one of the defrauded clients as a single mother of a child with special needs. The victim, whose name and country of origin were redacted, reportedly paid Molina Flynn $5,000 to file applications for asylum, cancellation of removal proceedings and a work permit, which he never did. Nine other clients were also listed in the petition, with all claiming losses between $3,000 and $8,000 due to Molina Flynn’s alleged misconduct. The Chief Disciplinary Counsel said it started receiving complaints about him two years ago. The court investigation also uncovered that Molina Flynn was using his law firm’s business account to pay off personal credit card bills. He founded Molina Flynn Law Offices in 2015, focusing on immigration, family and criminal cases, according to the firm’s website. In January 2021, he was appointed as a Municipal Court judge in Central Falls, making history as both the first openly gay individual and the first formerly undocumented person to serve as a judge in Rhode Island. Molina Flynn stepped down as judge in January 2025 following a raid of his Providence office conducted by Homeland Security, IRS and the FBI.