Immigration lawyer faces fraud, forgery charges

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — A 40-year-old southern Arizona immigration and criminal defense lawyer faces federal charges of mail fraud and forgery of judicial signatures.

Marivel Cantu-Madril of Oro Valley pleaded not guilty Friday when arraigned in U.S. District Court in Tucson.

The fraud charge accuses Cantu-Madril of providing false information on documents for a non-citizen client seeking government permission to work in the United States and the forgery counts allege she falsely authenticated two payment receipts from a federal court by forging the clerk’s signature on the documents.

Defense attorney Mark Francis Willimann did not immediately respond to an emailed request Saturday for comment on behalf of Cantu-Madril.