The Brief
- The California State Bar seized 21 boxes of client files and records from an Artesia office operated by nonattorney John Pamintuan Alamarez Jr., who is accused of illegally practicing law for years.
- Alamarez allegedly leveraged his status as a church pastor to target Filipino community members, charging up to tens of thousands of dollars for immigration and probate work that was botched or never filed.
- After multiple licensed attorneys severed ties with Alamarez and filed complaints, officials obtained a court order to shut down the operation, which had fraudulently used another lawyer’s name on its storefront, officials said.
LOS ANGELES COUNTY, Calif. – The State Bar of California on Monday announced it has seized the alleged illegal business of a nonattorney in Los Angeles County who is accused of illegally practicing law for years, targeting members of the local Filipino community under the guise of legitimate immigration and legal services.
What we know:
Alamarez, operating in Artesia under the names “Immigration Law Services” and “Immigration Services Law Office,” spent years posing as an attorney despite never holding a license to practice law in California, the State Bar alleges.…