Glen Ellyn Attorney Disbarred for Illegal Immigration Scheme

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A Glen Ellyn attorney, who is serving time in prison for an illegal immigration scheme that lead to him and his wife collecting $950,000, has been disbarred in Illinois.

Constantine Peter Kallas, who was licensed in 1995, was disbarred on consent, according to Illinois State Bar Association website. Kallas was among 11 attorneys recently disbarred by the Illinois Registration & Disciplinary Commission of the State of Illinois.

Kallas, a former senior attorney with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was sentenced to 17.5 years in prison in 2011 in federal court in California, according to a U.S. Attorney’s Office press release. He entered into a scheme with his wife to charge illegal aliens between $10,000 and $20,000 in order to submit false documentation to federal immigration authorities. He promised the illegal aliens immigration benefits that would allow them to remain in the United States.

“Mr. Kallas has received one of the longest sentences ever seen in a public corruption case,” said United States Attorney André Birotte Jr. following Kallas’ 2011 sentencing. “Mr. Kallas took in hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes—money he obtained by exploiting his knowledge of the immigration system. The lengthy sentence reflects the seriousness of the crimes, which were a wholesale violation of the public trust.”

The couple collected at least $950,000 through this scheme, according to the ISBA website.

He was found guilty before the federal court of money laundering and obstruction of justice. Before being disbarred in recent weeks, he was suspended in Illinois on an interim basis on July 27, 2011.

Kallas had a business address registered in Glen Ellyn with the Illinois Registration & Disciplinary Commission at 800 Roosevelt Road Building B, Suite 314.

Another Glen Ellyn attorney, Kaci L. Holguin, was among 36 lawyers who were recently suspended.

Holguin, who was licensed in Illinois in 1997, was suspended for six months and until further order of the court, with the suspension stayed in full by a one-year period of probation subject to conditions.

In 2011, she neglected a client’s dissolution of marriage matter, resulting in the case being dismissed for want of prosecution, according to the Illinois State Bar Association website.

According to the court, she also failed to refund an unearned fee to the same client. She engaged in the unauthorized practice of law by appearing in court and filing pleadings in six different client matters after she had been removed from the Master Roll of Attorneys for failing to register.

For a full list of lawyers who have been disbarred or suspended, visit the Illinois State Bar Association website.