Choice Chido Dzviti ,43, and Sherman Dzviti, 42, of Courtenay Road, Maidstone, Kent who traded as CS Legal Consultants, CS Law Ltd and Casson Law had been found guilty of fraud, of providing unqualified immigration advice and of providing unqualified service at Southwark Crown Court on 1 February 2021.
Specifically, Choice Dzviti was found guilty of two counts of fraud, five counts of providing unqualified immigration advice and four counts of providing unqualified immigration services while husband Sherman Dzviti was found guilty of two counts of providing unqualified immigration advice and one count of providing unqualified service.
The pair were sentenced on 12 March at Southwark Crown Court, Choice Dzviti received a two-year prison sentence (serving up to one year in prison) and ordered to pay £26,951 in compensation to five victims. Sherman Dzviti was given a community sentence of 200 hours unpaid work and ordered to pay compensation of £1,300. Both compensation orders are to be paid within 12 months.
The court heard that many of the complainants handed over large amounts of money and legal documents such as birth certificates and passports. The Dzvitis refused to hand them back or even to speak to the complainants leading to one contacting the Legal Ombudsman.
His Honour Judge Perrins commented, "Choice Dzviti, your offending spans several years. You ignored the findings of the First-Tier Tribunal. You deliberately misled the firm of solicitors supervising. You preyed on people who were especially vulnerable - and two of them you deliberately defrauded of significant amounts of money. You provided negligent advice and woeful client care.
"Sherman Dzviti, you were much less involved - but it cannot be said that the quality of your services was any better."
John Tuckett, Immigration Services Commissioner, added, "In a devious and calculating way over a considerable period of time the Dzvitis were successful in dishonestly taking a significant amount of money from their clients.
"This was a serious offence given the amount of money involved and the personal impact and hardship felt by the applicants. I am delighted with the outcome in this case."
Notes
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The OISC is an independent public body, established under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, to regulate the provision of immigration advice and services in the UK.
