An 83-year-old man accused of practicing unauthorized immigration law in Tustin is fighting with the state bar to get back some of his records with a hearing in state court scheduled for later this month, according to court records obtained Thursday.
State Bar of California officials on Thursday announced they had seized the office of John Minnella in Tustin in an investigation stemming from allegations of a Mexican immigrant who claimed Minnella took thousands of dollars in fees and failed to do the work.
State bar officials say they began their investigation in 2024, and filed a lawsuit in Orange County Superior Court June 12.
Minnella’s attorney, Jewels Jin, said in court papers that Minnella served in the U.S. Army and Army National Guard and “has maintained a fixed Orange County office for more than 46 years.”
Minnella was “admitted to the bar of Nicaragua since 1993 but has never claimed admission to the California bar,” Jin said.
Jin challenged the assertion of state bar attorneys that Minnella told clients he was a California attorney.
Key to the state bar’s case are allegations from Juan Manuel Delgado Ramirez, who hired Minnnella in 2011, and filed a complaint with the state bar in 2024, Jin said.
Minnella “disputes the state bar’s characterization of all services and requires the underlying file, agreements, correspondence, and work product to answer accurately” to the bar’s complaint, Jin said.
Minnella’s client, who is a Spanish speaker, signed a retainer agreement in English that he did not understand and paid $4,500 so Minnella could help him get a work permit through an application for asylum, according to the bar.
The client alleges the application was never filed, according to the bar complaint.
When the client asked for his money back Minnella said he did not owe a refund and claimed the client owed more money for other services, according to the bar complaint.
The state bar alleges Minnella does not have a law license for California and is not registered or bonded as an immigration consultant with the state.
Investigators removed 25 boxes of client files from Minnella’s law office. The state bar said the clients may arrange to retrieve their files by calling 213-765-1593.
Jin said the state bar did not issue an itemized receipt or inventory of the files seized.
“The removed or inaccessible materials include, among other things, personal tax returns, tax-prepared materials, Nicaraguan-law files, veterans-disability claim files, private notes, immigration-related files, and two old files from (Minnella’s) own closed Superior Court cases,” Jin said. “His office also historically received personal and family mail.”