North Richland Hills police seeking more victims of attorney impersonator

A woman accused of posing as an attorney and collecting fees but never providing any services was arrested last week, police reported.

Investigators believe she was targeting Hispanic people, and they are looking for more victims.

As many as nine residents in the North Richland Hills area have come forward to say she cheated them, according to a news release from investigator Keith Bauman, a department spokesman.

Anna Monique Perez Joajuin, 32, was arrested Tuesday and remained in the Tarrant County Jail on Sunday, the jail log showed. Perez faces two charges of falsely holding herself out as a lawyer. Bail was set at $200,000 on each charge.

A resident of apartments in the 8500 block of Harwood Road in North Richland Hills told police that on Feb. 11, a woman identifying herself as Anahai Gutierrez took money to provide legal services but didn’t do anything. The woman told prospective clients she worked for the Sanchez Law Firm in immigration services.

Gutierrez is an alias of Perez, Bauman said.

Investigators have determined that Perez does not have a license to practice law, Bauman said.

“People can check with the State Bar of Texas to see if the person they are hiring as a lawyer is licensed to practice law,” Bauman said. “It should also raise a red flag if they do not have a stable building address for their law office.”

Some people said they paid more than $1,500 and sometimes borrowed money to pay the woman, Bauman said.

“Any individuals that may have been victimized by the suspect are encouraged to contact the North Richland Hills Police Department,” Bauman said.

This story was originally published March 28, 2015 at 9:00 AM with the headline "North Richland Hills police seeking more victims of attorney impersonator."