Prosecutors say a bogus New York City immigration lawyer defrauded Chinese immigrants of thousands of dollars by dangling empty promises of special humanitarian visas.

Te-Hu Tsuei is being held on $500,000 bail after pleading not guilty Monday to grand larceny and other charges.

Tsuei is formally charged with stealing a total of over $6,000 from two immigrants. But Manhattan prosecutors say they believe he bilked as many as 300 people of an average of $2,000 apiece.

They say he falsely held himself out as a lawyer, or an immigration attorney’s paralegal, and wrongly assured clients they’d get special visas for people who help law enforcement.

Defense lawyer Curtis Farber says the 54-year-old Tsuei says he’s originally from Taipei, Taiwan.