Menu
For Business Write a review File a complaint
Codina International

Codina International review: immigration 29

O
Author of the review
8:47 pm EST
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more
Featured review
This review was chosen algorithmically as the most valued customer feedback.

Codina International is a big fraud. Angela Codina fraudulently represent herself as a lawyer.She was disbarred because of theft from the government of Canada. She takes your money and offer immigration services which doesn't exist. Don't be a victim. Be carefull.see the link below:
http://www.ag.ny.gov/media_center/2000/jul/jul24a_00.html

29 comments
Add a comment
J
J
Jack G. Miller
Ottawa, CA
Send a message
Mar 02, 2012 3:11 am EST

Whoever is behind this posting should be ashamed of themselves. This is obviously either a competitor or someone who is on a vendetta to slander and harm both Ms. Codina and Codina International. I am a retired civil servant and professional engineer and was employed by the Government of Canada for many years. I have known Ms. Codina for some decades and have been a resident of Ottawa for more than 40 years. During that time, Ms. Codina articled with the law offices of Stikeman, Elliott, in Ottawa, and also worked as assistant to Parliamentary counsel, Mr. Joseph Maingot, where she was involved in the drafting of legislation for the House of Commons, and was the author of an article on the Law Reform Commission of Canada which appeared in the Inter-Parliamentary Bulletin, a publication that is distributed in all of the democratically-elected parliaments of the world. During that period, Ms. Codina also worked with the Privy Council Office and the then Department of External Affairs and acted as press and liaison officer during the first Economic Summit of the G-7, which took place in Ottawa. She was responsible for escorting heads of state, including British Prime Minister Thatcher, and French President Mitterand, and the foreign delegations at the summit. Ms. Codina was also employed with the legal department of the Canadian Transportation Commission, and the Department of Justice where she worked as legal researcher, and was legal assistant to several judges (i.e., Judge Guy Goulard, Judge Marin, Judge Beaulne), including Crown Attorney Louise Charron who is currently a Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada.

The information contained in the links referenced on this site is inaccurate, false, slanderous, and out-of-date, and should not reflect upon the integrity of Ms. Codina's character. I have attached Ms. Codina's resume and profile detailing her background. I believe that the references set out therein should suffice to counter any doubts in this respect. Over the several decades of our acquaintance I visited regularly the offices of Codina International in both Canada and the United States and can attest to the high level of professionalism and service provided to clients of the firm. What the posting fails to indicate is that the judgment which was overturned by the New York Court of Appeals was initially obtained by perjured evidence of Richard Friedman, an investigator with the New York State Attorney General's Office. It also fails to indicate that the article which appears in the link from the New York State Attorney General's Media Center has continued to be published in the internet for more than 10 years after the judgment was overturned, thus, establishing actual malice and defamation on the part of the New York State Attorney General's Office.

Eliot Spitzer is currently being sued for $90 million over a column he wrote for Slate. William Gilman and Edward McNenney, two former Marsh executives, filed separate suits against Spitzer, claiming that they were libeled by the column. Both were among the eight Marsh employees convicted on antitrust charges, but those convictions were overturned three months before Spitzer's column appeared. I refer the reader to the following link on the current lawsuit against Spitzer - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/22/eliot-spitzer/sued-slate-column. Ms. Codina is attempting to join forces with both of these plaintiffs to sue Eliot Spitzer and the New York State Attorney General's Office over the slanderous article referred to in this posting.

I also direct the reader's attention to such prominent publications as the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and the New York Daily News, which published, even before his encounter with the escort agency that ended his gubernatorial career, highly critical articles of Eliot Spitzer's prosecutorial conduct in criminalizing widely accepted business practices and convicting hundreds of corporate executives and prominent individuals of fraud when in fact no laws had been broken. The Wall Street Journal's editorial columns have also carried highly denunciatory articles about Spitzer's practices, including his intimidation techniques which disrupted and destabilized numerous entities such as AIG which ultimately cost U.S. authorities 180 billion dollars. These articles are but a few of such accounts. If anyone has any further questions, I would be happy to receive them.

Jack Miller, B.Sc., M.Sc.
Ottawa, Ontario
jackgmiller@sympatico.ca

PROFILE OF ANGIE CODINA

LANGUAGES: French, English, Spanish, Portuguese,
German, Greek, Italian

EDUCATION

1. Ontario Bar Admission Course - 1983
Called to the Bar – April, 1983

2. University of Ottawa – [protected]
LL.B. – Bachelor of Laws – Bilingual Common-Law Program

3. University of Ottawa – 1982
Institute for International Development and Co-operation
Diploma in International Cooperation

4. McMaster University – [protected]
Double Honours Political Science & Philosophy

5. Cégep du Vieux Montréal – [protected]
Diplome D’Etudes Collégiales
Philosophy Major

6. Scott Park Secondary – [protected]
High School Diploma

7. Greek Language School
Greek Language Diploma

8. German Language School
German Language Diploma

9. Spanish Language School
Spanish Language Diploma

10. Royal Conservatory of Music

Work experience:

IPI Publishing Limited
Writer 1983
Writing of a French Book on Constitutional Law

Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
Bureau of Management Consultants
Consultant 1983
Consulting on termination of projects of international scope

Deputy Minister of Finance - Department of Finance
Correspondence Officer 1982
Responsible for incoming and outgoing correspondence
and press for the Deputy Minister

Stikemann, Elliott
Barristers and Solicitors
Principal: Mr.G.Kane
Articling [protected]
Type of work: administrative-regulatory and communications law; corporate-commercial law; editing of the Regulatory Reporter (CRTC); Arctic Pilot Project – exploration of gas in the Arctic - National Energy Board Hearings – attendance and reporting on the hearings; research in administrative law, human rights and transportation matters; research in labour law;writing article “Regulation of Transportation in Canada” for the Enterpriser magazine; Gas Export Hearings – National Energy Board; Drafting of legal opinions – memoranda.

Canadian Transport Commission - Legal Services Division
Type of work: research in Air Transport, Railway Transport, Water Transport; National Transportation Act; Research and analysis of Air Carrier regulations; Air Transportation Act; editing 1981 Canadian Transport Commission report; representing the CTC in court ( i.e. Federal Court of Appeal – Air Canada v. Canadian Human Rights Commission ); attending and reporting on Mississauga Rail Derailment Hearings.

Honeywell, Pascoe, Garay &Stel
Barristers and Solicitors
Type of work: -insurance law; administration of estates; - real estate (closing real estate transactions, 40 years searches etc.); litigation; family law and Criminal Law; Attending court; representing clients; corporate-commercial law; drafting of writs, statements of claim, statements of defence. 1981

Canadian Transport Commission Legal Services Division
Legal Assistant to Mr.G.W.Nadeau - General Counsel;
Research in administrative law, regulations; drafting of legal opinions on different areas of the law. May-September, 1981.

Special Examiner’s Office County of Ottawa-Carleton
Interpreter: interpretation during “discoveries” – pretrial; translation of documents – i.e. birth certificates; languages employed – French, Spanish, Greek, English. Portuguese, Italian, German. [protected]

Law firms in the City of Ottawa
Freelance interpretation and translation

Parliamentary Counsel and Clerk of the House of Common-Mr. Joseph Maingot
Legal Assistant: research in the field of legislative drafting, proofreading of text on Parliamentary Process (published by Mr. J. Maingot 1982) Research and writing of article “The Law Reform Commission of Canada”
published internationally in the Inter-Parliamentary Bulletin. 1980

The Honourable Justice G.Goulard
Department of Justice and Ontario Family Court Legal Researcher:
Research in family law; building –up family law course taught by the Honourable G. Goulard at the University of Ottawa. 1979

Ms.Louise Charron - Crown Attorney
Legal Researcher: research in Administration of Estates. 1979

Acres Consulting Services Ltd.
Translator: translation of Greek Governmental Documents and By-Laws for a firm of engineers; 1978

Ministry of Employment and Immigration
Montreal, Quebec
Interpreter: translation and interpretation in Greek, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and German from French and English and vice versa. Mainly interpretation for deportation, non-immigrant status cases. 1977

PUBLICATIONS

“The Law Reform Commission of Canada” – published internationally in the Inter-Parliamentary Bulletin under the auspices of the House of Commons.
“Transport Regulation in Canada” published in the Enterpriser under the auspices of Stikeman, Elliott.
“Proposed Amendments to the Unemployment Insurance Act”, brief submitted to the National Association of Women and the Law and accepted as the position of the Province of Ontario.
Editing of the Regulatory Reporter – Canadian Radio Television Commission (CRTC cases)
Editing the 1981Federal Court of Appeal Cases for the 1981 Canadian Transport Commission Report under the auspices of the Canadian Transport Commission.
Papers written under the auspices of Stikeman, Elliott:
- Submarine Transportation: A Contribution to Canada’s Jurisdiction over the Arctic
- Assistance to Business in Canada
- Pre-Incorporation Contracts
- Certiorari
- Wrongful Dismissal
- Review under Sect ions 18 and 28 of the Federal Court Act
- Airline Licences and Eligibility to acquire other Licences

Articles Published in Newspapers: “The Canadian Reaction”; “Quebec: A Structural Dilemma”; “Theorie de la Philosophie”; “Feminisme: Faits et Mythes”; Federal-Provincial Conflict
Papers submitted to the University of Ottawa:
- Foreign Investment and Canadian Independence;
- Human Rights and Changing Attitudes Based on the Charter, the Declaration and the Covenants – Legal Obligations;
- Le Statut du Quebec dans le Canada de Demain
- L’Enchassement des Droits Fondamentaux
- Proportional Representation in the Canadian House of Commons
- Linguistic Rights in Canada – New Options – New Attitudes?
- On Jurisprudence

Extra-Curricular Activities

Vice-President Student |Council
Secretary Student Council
Editor of “The Spartan Times”
Representative of the Department of Philosophy on Faculty Council and Student |Council – Cegep du Vieux Montreal
Assistant – Editor of the Collegial Journal
President of G.O.Y.A.
Vice=President of the Cretan Association
Contributor to the McMaster Newspaper
President of the Spanish Club
Co-ordinator and Public Relations Officer for “The Zorba Dancers”
Theory and Practical (Honours) Royal Conservatory of Music
Member of the Preventive Law Program
Member of the Student Legal Aid Society
Membre de l’Association des Etudiants d’expression francaise de la Common Law
Membre de l’Association des Avocats d’Expression francaise en Ontario
Communications Officer for the Ottawa Association of Women and the Law
Delegate to the Conference of the National Association of Women and the Law – Calgary 1979 – Amendments to the Criminal Code
Research and drafting of brief on “Unemployment Insurance”
Lobbied at the National Conference – Halifax 1981 -
Assistant Editorship Ottawa Law Review
Member of the Human Rights Institute of Canada
Member of the Young Lawyers International Association
Member of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom

Sport Awards

1st Prize – Intra-Mural Basketball
1st Prize – Intra-Mural Volleyball
1st Prize – Miler’s Club
1st Prize – Track&Field
2nd Prize – Track & Field
Award – Gymnastics Club
Award – Badminton Club
Proficiency Award in Physical Education

Other Prizes/Awards/Titles

Prix de la langue francaise – 1975
Award of Merit – Scott Park Secondary 1975
Award in Administrative Commerce
Teachers’ Merit Award – Commercial – 1975
1976 Proficiency Award – Hamilton Board of Education
1975 Scott Park Trophy
Centennial Award
Himmeurs en Musique et Theorie du Royal Conservatory – 10-e annee
Scholarship of $2000 by the Ontario Government for French 1980
Greek Language Diploma
German Language Diploma
Spanish Language Diploma
Proficiency Award in the Greek Language
Award for German
Dean’s Honour List – McMaster University
Program Standing – First

REFERENCES

Mr.Gilbert W.Nadeau, General Council, Canadian Transport Commission
Mr.Joseph Maingot, Commissioner – Federal Law, Reform Commission, Former Law Clerk & Parliamentary Counsel – House of Commons
His Honour Judge Guy Goulard, Department of Justice, Ontario Family Court
His Honour Judge Marin, Provincial Court – Ottawa
His Honour Judge Beaulne, County Court – Ottawa
The Honourable Justice Maxwell Cohen, International Court of Justice
Professeur G.W.Beaudoin, Constitutional Expert, Former Dean, Faculte de Droit Civil, Universite d’Ottawa
Professor Tarnopolsky, Faculty of Common Law, Human Rights Institute, University of Ottawa
Professor Castel, International Private Law Expert, Editor of the Ontario Bar Review
Mr.Douglas V.Heath, Department of Industry, Trade&Commerce, Former Special Assistant to Minister Munro
Mr.V.Chapman, Executive Director, World Food Aid Secretariat, Ministry of Agriculture, United Nations
Mr.T.G.Kane, Former Counsel – CRTC, Editor of the Regulatory Reporter, Counsel – Stikeman, Elliott
Mr.Denis Scott, Senior Counsel, Canadian Transport Commission
The Honourable Senator, Royce Frith, Deputy Leader of the Government
Mr.Eric Warg, Director of Policy Division, Department of External Affairs

G
G
Greggreg
Tampa, US
Send a message
Mar 12, 2012 11:51 pm EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I cannot agree with the response from this so called guy named "Jack Miller" being a victim myself.

All I can suggest from my personal experience being a victim of Codina International DO NOT engage with Codina or believe in Ms. Angela Codina. You will risk all you money and your future if you go with them just like what I had experienced.

One more important shabby practice by Codina International that I want to bring to your notice. Kindly check the agreement documents when you pay them, because they will try to provide some piece of ### paper documents with warranties that they would refund your money in case they cannot fulfill your case. This piece of ### paper is not a legal bonding and it is not even worth a toilet paper because you cannot use it to sue them or make a complaint or take it to court.

Greg

A
A
Almost-A-Victim
Brampton, CA
Send a message
Mar 30, 2012 7:12 am EDT

Many thanks to people who posted their stories about how they had been victimized by Codina International. I was going to refer her firm to my relative for their immigration needs. They wanted to immigrate to Canada under the Investors Program. I'm so glad I did a research and looked more into this company. I think the best you can do to help people from falling victim to this fraudulent company is to make your stores searchable on search engines, particularly Google. I know you have helped me. These scams have been going long enough and it's about time we help put a stop on it. Another way to help, I suppose, is to write your stories as a victim and publish them on your community newspaper. People usually have very good memmory with the bad names and so they can immediately avoid it and help spread the words out. Maybe you can look into a class action lawsuit just like the one in this article where Angela Codina was indicted for victimizing thousands of people.

Fraudulent Immigration Lawyer Sentenced

Attorney General Spitzer today announced that Angie Codina, who fraudulently portrayed herself as an immigration lawyer and victimized hundreds of people seeking to become United States citizens, was sentenced to a term of 9 1/3 to 28 years in prison and ordered to pay $108, 840 in restitution by Manhattan State Supreme Court Judge Laura Visatacion-Lewis . Codina, 42, is a Canadian national, who operated a law office in the Helmsley Building on Park Avenue.

Following a ten day trial that ended on May 12, Codina was convicted of two counts of Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree; ten counts of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, one count of Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree and 14 counts of Practicing as an Attorney at Law without being admitted and registered in New York State.

Testimony at the trial indicated Codina defrauded as many as 1, 000 victims. Witnesses testified they each lost from $7, 000 to $178, 000 and that Codina stole more than $260, 000 in legal fees from the 17 victims named in the charges against her. One victim who was scheduled to testify was unable to do so because he was stranded in the Czech Republic as a result of an exclusion procedure for which he had originally sought Codina's legal assistance.

"My office will vigorously prosecute those who prey upon those who are looking to improve their lives. This defendant boosted the hopes of those least able to afford legal representation. What resulted were falsehoods and shoddy representation, " said Spitzer. "Codina turned the dream of American residency and citizenship into nightmares for those who hired her."

The defendant held herself out as lawyer even though she was not authorized to practice law in New York State. Her firm, known as Codina Partners International Attorneys-at-Law, advertised in English and foreign language newspapers. The ads falsely stated that the firm was qualified to provide legal assistance on work visas, green cards, and refugee applications and Codina had offices in Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Paris, Miami, Montreal, London, Toronto and Washington, D.C.

Codina's clients included individuals from Russia, the Ukraine, Albania, Greece, Poland, India, Pakistan, Korea and Israel and other Eastern European nations.

The case was handled by Assistant Attorney General Bernadine Agocha, of the Attorney General's Criminal Prosecution Bureau, under Bureau Chief Janet Cohn.

A
A
Almost-A-Victim
Brampton, CA
Send a message
Mar 30, 2012 7:19 am EDT

The link to the above article is

http://www.ag.ny.gov/press-release/fraudulent-immigration-lawyer-sentenced

View 0 more photos
J
J
James J McGuire Jr, Esquire
Freehold, US
Send a message
Apr 04, 2012 10:15 pm EDT

I disagree with the latest unidentified person who calls himself “almost victim” and who has taken the liberty to write the March 30th review on Codina International making reference to the link which has been removed from Google. I am an attorney called to the bars of New Jersey and Virginia and work with Angela Codina and Codina International. I find these disparaging remarks to constitute very serious libel and defamation against both the company Codina International and Ms. Codina and urge the Complaints Board to remove immediately both of these unidentified individuals` reviews as a legal action is being initiated against both the Board and its editors and the two unidentified individuals cited here for making libelous and defamatory statements.

Preliminarily, it should be noted that neither of these two gentlemen have identified themselves (I assume the person who commented on March 30th is also a male). The first commentator gave his first name as Greg and only in response to Mr. Miller`s comments. And although he claims to be a victim of Codina International, he does not specify in which way he was victimized or what his case consisted of. Instead he simply makes reference to third-party articles or sites to bolster his claim. This is disingenuous at the very least.

Moreover, to say the retainer agreement entered into with Codina International is worthless and has no legal status in a court of law is absolutely false. If this person was in fact victimized or wronged he would have recourse to a court of law where he could sue for breach of contract. For him to claim otherwise is because he knows very well that he has no valid claim to pursue and that is why he vents his frustration by posting comments on this site.

I know Ms. Codina to be a very honest, responsible and professional individual, and if Mr. Greg is serious about resolving any alleged dispute between himself and the company, he should speak to her or me instead of writing malicious and anonymous comments. That is the only civil and proper way to handle these types of matters.
The second most recent commentator is also anonymous and his slanderous comments should have been edited and not printed by the editors of this site. Firstly, he has never been a client of Codina International and so for him to direct readers to the defamatory site with Spitzer`s article and then to recommend a class action suit is truly unbelievable. It certainly smells of a jealous competitor to me.

Secondly, and as already indicated in Mr. Miller`s earlier comments, the link which the commentator refers to and the article which he reprints in his comments are outdated and false because Ms. Codina was successful in that lawsuit and the link and article have since been removed from the internet and Google following a U.S. $600 million dollar lawsuit launched by Codina International and Ms. Codina in the United States District Court. In these circumstances, the reprinting of the article and the reference to the link constitute actual malice towards Ms. Codina and Codina International. These commentators and the editors of the Complaints Board were well aware of the record of the evidence in favor of Ms. Codina and yet, recklessly disregarded these facts.

I would also like to remind this latest commentator that even though he believes he is posting his comments anonymously, his identity and that of the Greg commentator will eventually have to be disclosed in the upcoming lawsuit against the Complaints Board and the two of them. Indeed, the Complaints Board sets out its disclosure policy on its site and warns complainants that “ComplaintsBoard.com may disclose information about its users if required to do so by law or in the good faith belief that such disclosure is reasonably necessary to:
• Respond to a legal process (e.g., subpoenas, court orders).
• Respond to claims that a listing or content violates the rights of third parties.
• Enforce our Terms of Use.
• Protect the rights, property or personal safety of ComplaintsBoard.com, its users or the general public.”

The Complaints Board also provides a libel notice on its site warning complainants that “[i]n case if a court defines that a consumer complaint constitutes libel or defamation, the mentioned consumer would be held legally responsible for damages to the reputation of the business, mentioned in complaint.” Nor should the editors of the Complaints Board and owners of this site think they are exempt from any legal liability themselves because they are not.

Please govern yourselves accordingly.

James J. McGuire Jr., Esq.
jjmjrlaw@aol.com

A
A
Another customer in trouble
US
Send a message
Dec 30, 2012 1:46 pm EST
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Think before you pay any amount of money to that organization. It is wisdom to investigate from some of their customers first. I am 100% sure you won't proceed to work with them after the result comes up. If you just spend one day in front of their office in Toronto you will see how many desperate people come and cry and beg and complain. I made that mistake and did trust them. I lost my money and my chance. I am in a big trouble because of their mistakes. I just want you all to think before take one step.

V
V
victimof Codinainternational
CA
Send a message
Dec 30, 2012 5:01 pm EST

I'm another victim of Codina int'l!
There are things I want to share with people who are deciding to be her new clients. Please read this carefully maybe I can change your decision! I wish someone has told me these stuffs before I become one of her victims.
The contract you sign and in the ads says if the file gets rejected we will refund you 100%! but Angela's know how to be smart! first of all they didn't mention in what period of time they will get the process done! she promised me herself to get my work done in few months cause I had a deadline and my visa was going to be expired in Canada. My case got rejected, when i went to her to ask for my money as promised she said i will do it again for you! there are files there in their office for about two years and they have done nothing about it! she didn't give me my money back as promised cause she wants my visa to expires and when i leave Canada she think I forget about her and my money!
Another important thing! Their contract says we will refund the money unless the client refuse to give us enough needed documents. Ms Angela has studied law, I've seen with many many clients she use that sentence and refused to refund when cases get rejected and claims somehow it has been the client's file!
All I'm sayin is please read this testimonials and search a lot then give her any money! I wish I did that! I gave her all the money I had, she did nothing for me and when I call her to ask for my money or follow up my file she yells and screams and say i will report you if you call me again and I know how to deport you from Canada!
I am going to the immigration service to complain about her and tell them all the truth, if anyone feels the same as me please write here so we connect and be stronger together till we get our money back and show everyone the true face of this woman and this company!
I know a lot of truth about her company and herself, contact me to report her to the government and stop this as soon as possible.

A
A
Another customer in trouble
US
Send a message
Dec 30, 2012 5:23 pm EST
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I just found this. Please read it. "IMPORTANT"
http://www.ag.ny.gov/press-release/fraudulent-immigration-lawyer-sentenced

A
A
Another customer in trouble
US
Send a message
Jan 06, 2013 1:02 pm EST
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

If you want to loose your money and sign the contract with Codina International it will be your choice but keep in your mind the following tips:
1- Add a time frame to your contract, otherwise it will take forever without any action. The contract they sign with you does not have a time frame, so you can never get your money back and they do nothing for you.
2- Do not pay any money to them before they take a real action. If you pay any amount of money in advance, you should know that for sure they won't do anything for you. Pay step by step after they take action. Ask them to show you the original result document. Do not trust the copy of any document. Then pay them for that action.
They may resist first and and tell you that they will not accept this condition. But you should know that this means they are not capable of doing that service for you and they know that they can't do anything for you so they won't get any money!
I will come back with more tips.

O
O
On to her antics
CA
Send a message
Jan 20, 2013 4:20 pm EST

A.M codina is a thief as are the people she works with. Even her business card is a joke. She claims she has a L.L.B which isn't a real degree. I'm amused to read that she is defending herself in the above comments. She currently has taken a lot of money from a family that I know and she has done nothing for them but make them regret ever meeting her. She is dishonest and I thief and I hope she gets caught and I hope the family I met gets all their money back. It's hard enough coming to a new country to try to start a new life let alone having the first human you meet suck all the money out of you. I hope she has a hard time sleeping at night. Her and her counterparts.

N
N
Nonie Gill
CA
Send a message
Feb 15, 2013 11:06 am EST

She is a big fraud, liar. she was debarred long time back and none of her consultants is paralegal or immigration consultant.she was sentenced to prison in US for fraud. They are bunch of liars sitting in Downtown Toronto with big office to take your money. I can't understand how she is operating her business from last couple of years. Think hundred times before going to her. She is crook

A
A
Avy1974
Toronto, CA
Send a message
Mar 30, 2013 5:13 pm EDT

Everyone, Angela Codina is a convicted Thief in the U.S and Canada.
Report her FRAUD to The Law Society of Upper Canada. here are the details:
Complaints Services
The Law Society of Upper Canada
Osgoode Hall, 130 Queen Street West
Toronto Ontario
M5H 2N6
General line: [protected]
Toll-free: [protected]

M
M
M-CH
Vaughan, CA
Send a message
Apr 18, 2013 8:49 pm EDT

It's interesting that I read this. I'm a regulated Canadian immigration consultant. A client was referred to me with a story much like what I read above. Codina had charged him $4000 and did not take any action on the file until their status expired and they lost the chance of ever going to the US. I called their office today, and was told that she's licensed in the US! I, then, did a thorough search on her and found out about all the convictions and sentences and fraud she's been involved in. SHe had never been licensed in the US. and was disbarred in Canada. What was even more interesting to read was the fact that she even missed her own deadline for perfecting her own appeal! Below you can read an article from Globe and Mail about her convictions.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto-lawyer-imprisoned-in-us/article4166327/

Regards,
M. C.

M
M
M-CH
Vaughan, CA
Send a message
Apr 18, 2013 8:52 pm EDT

And this is copied from the website of law society of upper canada:
Codina, Angelina Marie

Print Version
Angelina Marie Codina (1983) of the City of Toronto was found guilty of conduct unbecoming a barrister and solicitor for:

On November 27, 1997, being convicted of a criminal offence that during the period from and including the 1st day of January in the year 1991 to and including the 31st day of December in the year 1992, at the Municipality of Toronto, by deceit, falsehood or other fraudulent means, being a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada in its capacity as Administrator of the Ontario Legal Aid Plan, she did defraud the Ontario Legal Aid Plan of a sum of monies of a value exceeding one thousand dollars, contrary to the Criminal Code of Canada.

Hearing panel ordered that:
the Member is disbarred as a barrister, her name is struck off the roll of solicitors, her membership in the Law Society is revoked and she is prohibited from acting or practicing as a barrister or solicitor and from holding herself out as a barrister or solicitor.

(Counsel for Society, Nancy Spies/member not represented)

M
M
M-CH
Vaughan, CA
Send a message
Apr 18, 2013 8:54 pm EDT

As we're investigating this deeper and more professionally for our client., could I please ask anyone with similar experiences in recent years to contact me? It'll help build a stronger case.

F
F
fari aamir
US
Send a message
May 01, 2013 8:11 pm EDT

she is not big big fraud . I made that mistake and did trust them. I lost my money, even I can approve and I request the people any one can help me to get my money back.

A
A
AngelaCodinavictim
Hamilton, CA
Send a message
Aug 26, 2013 12:48 pm EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I have One question for Angela Codina!
If she is telling us that we are all lying, then how she can explain this:
There are the list of court dates against Angela m Codina from her clients from January 2013

JANUARY 4, 2013 URDU POST 7765 HURONTARIO ST. 2nd FLOOR BRAMPTON, ONTARIO

JANUARY 15, 2013 FRIDOON SEDIKI 47 SHEPPARD AVE EAST 3rd FLOOR TORONTO, ONTARIO M2N5N1 (307 COURT ROOM)

FEBUARY 11, 2013 LIN GUO HUA 10 RUE SAINT-ANTOINE EST MONTREAL, QUEBEC H2Y1A2 (ROOM 14.08)

FEBUARY 12, 2013 JAMIL AHMAD 10 RUE SAINT-ANTOINE EST MONTREAL, QUEBEC H2Y1A2 (ROOM 14.12)

MARCH 27, 2013 ERENDIRA MOLINA CERDA 47 SHEPPARD AVE EAST 3rd FLOOR TORONTO, ONTARIO M2N5N1 (301 COURT ROOM) @10:02 A.M.

APRIL 09, 2013 SARA CHITIZADEH 47 SHEPPARD AVE EAST 3rd FLOOR TORONTO, ONTARIO M2N5N1 (300 COURT ROOM) @10:02 A.M.

JUNE 19, 2013 DMYTRO LIANSHENKO 161 ELGIN ST. 2nd FLOOR OTTAWA, ONTARIO K2P2K1 (ROOM NOT SPECIFIED) @9:30 A.M.

MOHADDAD KHADEMPOUR DATE NOT YET SPECIFIED

YAWAR SYED DATE NOT YET SPECIFIED

JEYASHADGER SANGARALINGAM DATE NOT YET SPECIFIED

LISA MARRIE SENKUS DATE NOT YET SPECIFIED

November 25, 2013 @ 10:02 am Fridoon Sediki Case # SC-12-[protected]-0000

14 AUG 2013 YINGCHUN LI Claim # SC-13-[protected]-0000

14 AUG 2013 MOHAMMAD KARIM KOCAN Claim # SC-13-[protected]-0000

14 AUG 2013 UMAIR AZAM CLaim # SC-13-[protected]-0000

22 MARCH 2012 KHATERI FATEMEH Claim # SC-[protected]

1ST JANUARY 2013 SINGH BHUPINDER/ KAUR HARDEEP Claim # SC-[protected]

4 SEPTEMBER MARZBAN ZAHRA Claim # SC-[protected]

30 APRIL 2013 FARIBA MAHMOODI LUFARA Claim # SC-13-[protected]-0000

30 APRIL 2013 A. ALAJEAL GELF Claim # SC-13-[protected]-0000

A
A
AngelaCodinavictim
Hamilton, CA
Send a message
Aug 26, 2013 12:49 pm EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

If we are all here are lying then why you are changing your name all the time?
Today you are Angeliki Kontini? or Angie Marie Codina as on your Codina International registration documents?
Or may be you are Angela Marie Kontina as on your CIC International registration documents?
There are a lots of OR...
But tell me one more thing! Do you Angela really think that government wont find out that you give to your staff members aka clients fake T4 forms? Do you rally think that they are soo stupid?
When you are telling some of your former clients that you have no money on your account, do you think they believe you? what about your European accounts?
By the way, why you closed previous CIC International accounts? that is not smart! Canada revenue agency will find it out too!
Yes you have now opened an account in CIBC. But for how long? 1 month to 3?!

A
A
AngelaCodinavictim
Hamilton, CA
Send a message
Aug 26, 2013 12:50 pm EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Tell me why your former staff wrote complaint against you and your company to Service Canada? Answer: maybe because you did not pay them?!
if you forgot their names then I wil remind you:
MOHAMMAD GORJI CLAIM# [protected]-3
JING YING WEI CLAIM# [protected]-1
YANG ZHANG CLAIM# [protected]-1

And this is only part of them.
There are a lots of other questions, but I would better leave them for TV reporters to ask you about!

A
A
AngelaCodinavictim
Hamilton, CA
Send a message
Oct 01, 2013 6:15 pm EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

BTW for those people who might be interested.
If next time Angela would tell you that she doesn't have money, then ask her how comes that she can afford herself buying properties all around Ontario Province.
She has an appartment on 71 Simcoe street in Toronoo, ON. She just bought a property on 450 Main street west in Hamilton !

JUST THINK! AND ASK YOURSELF IF YOU GUYS DESERVE BEING TREATED AS PEACE OF [censored]?!?!?!?!?

S
S
sara jan
Etobicoke (Toronto), CA
Send a message
Oct 31, 2013 1:55 pm EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

codina is the biggest fraud we all need to get together and do a protest and get media and police involved as soon as possible...she stole 15000 of my money and is not giving it back...she is the biggest liar fraud I hope she burns in hell..and all her workers are taking her back and doing fraud like yasmeen e[censored]a maria and so on.

M
M
Mrs Faisal
PK
Send a message
Feb 27, 2014 9:03 am EST

hi,
iam another victim.This lady angela is a big thief.She cahrged 10000 dollars and she said that if my case would be rejected she would return 50% of my amount back.my case got rejected.But now when i call her she doesnt attend my call.She had an agent by the name of nusrat ali who traps the people and i have heard that now she is separated from her and she is also victimising innocent people now.she lives in canada too.Ihope this post from me save people being victimise.

H
H
hamid.
Richmond Hill, CA
Send a message
Mar 06, 2014 7:19 pm EST

I am Another victim She got 16000 for work permit visa and now she refused us to refund money.
My number is [protected] and my email address is hra1981@gmail.com
Eli

T
T
Topoli
US
Send a message
May 13, 2014 8:01 pm EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

She was arrested.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/toronto-woman-accused-of-bilking-immigration-clients-1.2638194

S
S
sasan fardoost
toronto, CA
Send a message
May 30, 2014 3:25 pm EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

May 29, 2014, 06:00 am

Fraudulent Immigration Consulting investigation,
Arrest made in Project "False Angel, "
Angelina Codina, 56, faces numerous charges,
Police believe there may be other victims

52 Division
[protected]

The Toronto Police Service would like to make the public aware of an ongoing Fraud investigation named "False Angel."

It is alleged that:

- the Toronto Police Service and the Canada Border Services Agency received numerous reports since 2011, regarding an immigration consulting firm

- a woman represented herself as an immigration lawyer, and offered services to help applicants and their families navigate through Canada's immigration system

- the woman is not an Immigration lawyer and, in some cases, did not render any services beyond collecting fees

- on Thursday, May 8, 2014, officers from the CBSA arrested and charged Angelina Codina for acting as a fraudulent immigration consultant. She faces five charges under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act

- on Friday, May 16, 2014, Angelina Codina, 56, of Toronto, was charged with an additional seven counts of Fraud.

Angelina Codina appeared in court at College Park, courtroom 507, on Tuesday, May 27, 2014.

Angelina Codina operated out of several downtown Toronto offices as "Codina International Consultants, " and investigators believe there may be more victims.

Anyone who may be a victim of this fraud is asked to file an initial report by calling [protected]. An investigator will follow up the report, and be in contact. Alternatively, if you have information regarding this matter, or any other matter relaing to suspected immigration fraud, please contact the CBSA Border Watch Toll-free Line at [protected].

For more news, visit TPSnews.ca.

Constable Victor Kwong, Corporate Communications, for Detective Constable Soon Lum, 52 Division

S
S
sasan fardoost
toronto, CA
Send a message
May 30, 2014 3:28 pm EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

TORONTO - Disbarred lawyer and immigration consultant Angie Codina was ordered released Tuesday on $100, 000 bail for allegedly engaging in unauthorized immigration consulting.

The 56-year-old Codina was arrested last Wednesday and charged with four counts of unauthorized representation and one count of counselling misrepresentations for Immigration and Refugee Protection Act proceedings.

She is alleged to have received sums ranging from $5, 850 to $9, 000 from February 2012 through Jan. 25, 2014 from six clients for consulting services.

Codina “is alleged to have taken substantial sums of money from victims on the pretext of performing legal or immigration counselling work she is not authorized to do, and supports herself through offering legal advice and immigration counselling despite being disbarred from practising law in Ontario in 2002 and not being a member of an authorized class (who can) practise immigration consulting, ” court documents stated.

Federal Crown attorney Lynda Trefler and defence lawyer Bob Costello agreed on releasing Codina. Her bail conditions barred her from advising or counselling on immigration matters or leaving Ontario.

Only lawyers and authorized consultants can practise immigration consulting or offer legal advice. Codina is neither a lawyer nor an authorized immigration consultant, court heard.

She is a director of Codina International Consultants — which advertises publicly that it can assist people trying to obtain Canadian immigration visas.

Her ads indicate the company has offices in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, New York, Paris, Lisbon, Barcelona and Sao Paulo.

Codina, who was called to the bar in ’83, had her licence revoked in 2002 because of an earlier fraud conviction for bilking Legal Aid for $2, 000. She received a six-month jail sentence.

Codina is expected to be released Wednesday when her mother, Evelyn, will return to act as a surety.

In 2000, Codina was sentenced to from nine to 28 years in prison in New York after she was convicted on charges of scheming to defraud, grand larceny and practising law in the state without a licence.

At her 10-day trial, prosecutors alleged Codina defrauded as many as 1, 000 victims through “falsehoods and shoddy representation, ” stealing more than $260, 000 from the 17 clients named in the charges.

Codina falsely advertised she was qualified to offer legal assistance on work visas, green cards and refugee applications, prosecutors alleged.

She is still on parole for the U.S. convictions, court documents stated.

M
M
M Gai HP
CA
Send a message
Jul 14, 2014 11:47 am EDT

I have been scammed too since 2008 by Cordina making promises that she could help bring my stepson over on this type of contract, then she changes the plan so it voids the contract so I cannot get my money back but by 2009; I called it quits and lost $5000 and every year she hires someone new to contact me to attempt continuation of the immigration plan which I give them ### as the are 100% scam-lets called the lost money paying for stupidity. Hope she remains in jail and my condolences to everyone that lost money with Cordina. I live on and am posting to make sure no one else falls into her hands. EVIL witch can go to HELL! I live on and money can be made just becareful and do your research citizens!

L
L
ling316
US
Send a message
May 25, 2016 6:56 am EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

did anyone receive a refund after taking her to court? and does nayone know if she is in jail? or out playing tricks again? she has a new company called ronson professional group and a new name, renne ronso. anyone know if she is in jail?

D
D
Diane Carrington
CA
Send a message
Feb 26, 2018 9:33 am EST

To Mr. Jack Miller and the rest of the entourage coming to Ms. Codina's rescue: Will you be in court today to support her for her sentencing?

More Codina International reviews & complaints

Codina International - Fraud 52
Resolved
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
Codina International - Earlier Complaint Posted on Site 1
Resolved
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
Codina International - CLIENT TESTIMONIAL - REVIEW 4
Resolved
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
Codina International - review
Resolved
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
Codina International - victim 3
Resolved
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.