A fake immigration lawyer prosecuted by the Bar for illegal practice of the profession was fined several thousand dollars Friday at the Montreal courthouse. Parminder Singh, who presents himself under several identities, including that of Ricky Sirroi, demanded large sums from clients who entrusted him with various immigration requests, requests which he never responded to.
Several ex-clients of Ricky Sirroi, who also used the name Sarabjot Singh, agreed to tell their stories to the Duty. All spoke of his lack of diligence and deplored, with supporting evidence, having lost thousands of dollars for their immigration applications which were botched and, in some cases, were not even filed.
Paramjeet Singh says he is very frustrated with the services he received from Ricky Sirroi. In 2019, at the suggestion of a friend, this man, who now lives in Ontario, sought the services of the so-called lawyer to appeal his asylum application which had just been refused.
However, Paramjeet was unaware that his interlocutor was not a lawyer and that he therefore could not represent anyone before the Federal Court. It was when he received a referral notice from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) that he understood that his appeal had been rejected. “I tried to call [Ricky Sirroi], but he never responded. When I needed him, he didn’t answer me,” said Paramjeet, who had paid $1,500 for this process.
By insisting, he ended up getting back in touch with Ricky Sirroi, who this time asked him for $2,000 in cash to file an application for permanent residence on humanitarian grounds, the last possible resort. “But two months later, I wanted to check the status of the file and he did not answer my calls. He disappeared. »
After months of procedures and uncertainty about his status, Paramjeet Singh was finally able to obtain permanent residence last January, thanks to his partner, who sponsored him.
Two other ex-clients of Indian origin, who wished to remain anonymous so as not to interfere with their current immigration applications, also told the Duty that they were very dissatisfied with the service offered by Ricky Sirroi, who presented himself to them as a lawyer. One of them says they paid him more than $4,000 for various immigration procedures, including an application for permanent residence on humanitarian grounds in 2021 from which he never heard. “It’s been a year since I heard from him. When you pay someone for services, the least you can do is return your calls,” says this man, who ardently wishes to resolve his migratory situation to see his family again whom he has not seen for ten years. “Ricky ruined my life. »
Serious harm
Several complaints to the Montreal Bar allowed the appeal to be initiated in 2021. After pleading not guilty in 2021 to charges of illegal practice of the profession, Parminder Singh, aka Ricky Sirroi, changed his mind and admitted his guilt. At a sentencing hearing last April, Mr. Singh then appeared to inform the court that he wanted to return to his initial idea, that of pleading “not guilty”, which probably did not happen. not been done.
During sentencing submissions on Friday, another victim expressed all the harm that Ricky Sirroi caused him. When she had just learned that she was pregnant, the young woman paid her nearly $4,000 for immigration procedures for her, but also to bring her husband who remained in Africa. “I always asked him for news about my husband’s visa, and I never got one,” witness Soumahoro told the judge. “I was hospitalized, I was sick. Due to stress, I gave birth prematurely. I was in shock. »
Encouraged by a new legal aid lawyer — to which she learned she was entitled — Ms.me Soumahoro herself inquired with Immigration Canada to find out if a visa application had been submitted in her husband’s name. “He told me there had been no request made on his behalf. »
Mme Soumahoro explained to the court how much she suffered from the situation caused by Ricky Sirroi since she found herself alone to take care of a premature baby and that she was depressed. “The fact of not being able to get my documents back made the work of my [nouvel] difficult lawyer and I was very anxious,” she confided. “It’s like someone who’s already down and just needs a little hope, but they’re being shot at with a gun. » Today, her status is regularized, but her husband is still waiting for his permanent residence.
A “not very severe” sentence
Parminder Singh, alias Ricky Sirroi, thus receives, in addition to court costs, a fine of $7,500, more than the minimum, which is $2,500 for this type of offense. A sentence that Judge Patricia Compagnone herself admitted finding “not very severe” in light of the case presented.
To determine the sentence, the judge relied on the arguments of the prosecutor, who presented several aggravating factors, including the duration of the deception. “He led Madam on the issue of immigration deadlines, even though no file has been opened,” argued Mr.e Nathalie Guertin. She also insisted that Ricky Sirroi is an active member of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants of Canada (CCIC) under the name Parminder Singh. “He is registered as a regulated consultant, he knows the rules. »
Judge Patricia Compagnone found Ricky Sirroi’s behavior towards his ex-client “outrageous”, “who was vulnerable to say the least” and to whom “he could have legally offered the service as a regulated consultant. » As for the accused’s decision to plead guilty, she considers it a mitigating factor, which has “very little value” in the circumstances.