An attorney who used to practice law in Flanders New Jersey has been accused of impersonating another attorney in order to steal more than $75,000.
According to the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, the 47-year-old suspect committed the identity theft during a real estate closing and took money that was meant for the seller of the property.
The New Jersey Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection notified Morris County prosecutors in July about the possible theft.
The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Financial Crimes Unit conducted an investigation and determined that the suspect used another attorney’s name in a real estate closing in 2013. The suspect allegedly held more than $75K in a trust account; however, when the time came for the suspect to disburse the funds to the seller, he allegedly failed to do so.
Authorities believe that the suspect diverted the seller’s money to a personal account.
The suspect, who lives in Livingston NJ, was reportedly suspended from practicing law in New Jersey in October 2012. That same month, he was reportedly disbarred. According to the NJ Office of Attorney Ethics, the suspect committed various ethical violations that included failure to promptly turn over funds to a client and failure to comply with an investigation.
Now the suspect faces criminal charges for theft by deception, identity theft, and forgery.
After being arrested and charged in the recent case, the suspect was released from police custody with a pending court date.
Meanwhile, the suspect also has another criminal charge pending for allegedly committing check fraud in Florham Park in 2014.
For more information about this case, access the DailyRecord.com article entitled “Ex-Flanders Lawyer Charged in Theft of $75,000.”
