PROVIDENCE — An immigration lawyer under federal criminal investigation has been disbarred in Rhode Island.
Attorney Joseph Molina Flynn was disbarred by the Rhode Island Supreme Court on Monday, more than a year after Providence police and agents from the FBI, Internal Revenue Service, and Homeland Security raided his Providence office.
The court order said that Molina Flynn had voluntarily consented to disbarment. His law license is listed as active by the Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers, which notes that disciplinary proceedings are pending.
It was a significant fall for Molina Flynn, who had a compelling professional story of being a once-undocumented Colombian immigrant who became a lawyer to help other immigrants. He founded the Molina Flynn Law Offices in 2015, focusing on immigration, family, and criminal matters, and was appointed municipal court judge in Central Falls in 2021.
But, some former clients filed complaints against Molina Flynn. In January 2025, local and federal authorities suddenly raided his law office. He resigned as judge.
Then, the US Attorney’s Office in Rhode Island filed a complaint alleging that Molina Flynn made false statements and failed to disclose tax debt on his mortgage application for an East Greenwich home now worth $1.17 million.
Rhode Island’s chief disciplinary counsel accused Molina Flynn of misconduct after a dozen former clients alleged that they’d paid him thousands of dollars for legal work — filing asylum applications, work permits, and immigration documents — but he didn’t follow through.
Kerry Reilly Travers, the state chief disciplinary counsel, accused Molina Flynn of not complying with oversight and commingling clients’ money in his bank account.
In mid-October, a state Supreme Court justice ordered Molina Flynn’s law license suspended, and gave Reilly Travers authority over the remaining clients and bank accounts.
Molina Flynn submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court disciplinary board on Oct. 29 that he was aware he was the subject of several investigations into professional misconduct and volunteered to be disbarred.
Amanda Milkovits can be reached at amanda.milkovits@globe.com. Follow her @AmandaMilkovits.