A Manhattan-based attorney was charged Tuesday with leading a massive immigration scheme that allowed for thousands of immigrants to establish employment sponsors on their immigration applications.  

Earl Seth David, also known as “Rabbi Avraham David,” was arrested on Tuesday in Canada, where he fled in 2006 after losing his license to practice law. David is charged with leading a team of 26 individuals to create counterfeit claims for U.S. companies to sponsor the immigrants' employment listings, U.S. prosecutors said.  

The other individuals include accountants, who assisted with the creation of falsified tax return forms, employees in David's law firm and an employee in the U.S. Department of Labor.

The defendants may receive a sentence of up to 20 years in prison for charges of conspiracy to execute wire and mail fraud.