3rd Circuit Court

Ex-Employees Admit Embezzling $788K From NJ Law Firm

Two ex-employees have admitted embezzling $788,000 from an unidentified New Jersey law firm in less than three years. Marla Deptula, 45, and Rose Crabbe, 31, pleaded guilty Monday in federal court in Trenton to conspiracy to commit mail fraud, the Star-Ledger reports. U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said in a written…

Nov 20, 2012 6:59 PM CST

Pa. Lawyer Gets 33 Months for Embezzling Money From Clients Under Guise of Legal Fees

A suspended Pennsylvania lawyer has been sentenced to a 33-month federal prison term for embezzling more than $100,000 from clients. Kenneth Reidenbach, 61, was convicted last year of multiple felonies including bankruptcy fraud concerning money allegedly taken from four bankruptcy and divorce clients, under the guise of attorney’s fees, between…

Nov 5, 2012 4:58 PM CST

As Hurricane Sandy Closes Many East Coast Courts, Supreme Court Stays Open on Monday

Updated: The U.S. Supreme Court isn’t going to let Hurricane Sandy put a damper on its proceedings, at least not on Monday. Even as courts and governments across the Eastern United States are shutting down, the top court plans to stick to its oral argument schedule, Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy…

Oct 29, 2012 11:38 AM CDT

Former Programmer Accused of Stealing Source Code Wants Goldman Sachs to Pay $2.4M Legal Fees

A former computer programmer for Goldman Sachs Group Inc. who has now been charged in state court in Manhattan related to his alleged theft of confidential source code from his ex-employer to use in a new job has filed suit seeking over $2.4 million in legal fees. Sergey Aleynikov says…

Sep 26, 2012 8:07 PM CDT

Pro Se Ex-Judge Blames Jailed Ex-Colleague for 17.5-Year Prison Term in Kids-for-Cash Case

Convicted in the so-called kids-for-cash case and sentenced to a federal prison term of over 17 years for his role in a profitable Pennsylvania juvenile-detention scheme, a former president judge in Luzerne County is blaming a jailed ex-colleague on the bench for his hefty sentence. In a pro se filing,…

Sep 20, 2012 10:42 PM CDT

Lawyer Fights Own Fee Dispute Simultaneously with PI Client’s Case, Earns Over $1.5M, Is Disbarred

A New Hampshire lawyer who fought hard for his own claimed $2 million fee at the same time he was seeking an $11 million settlement on behalf of a paralyzed personal injury client earned a fee of over $1.5 million. But Timothy O’Meara was also disbarred by the state supreme…

Sep 18, 2012 6:45 PM CDT

Federal Judge Nixes Smartphones for Fired Worker and Hubby Accused of Hacking Law Firm’s Computer

For thousands of years, humans somehow managed to survive without smartphones, a federal judge told a fired former law firm worker and her husband on Monday during a hearing on bond conditions. In fact, U.S. District Judge David Cercone noted, he himself still doesn’t have one. So requiring Alyson Cunningham…

Aug 28, 2012 5:17 PM CDT

Paul Bergrin, Accused Attorney in RICO Law Firm Case, Seeks Hearing Re Claimed Misconduct By Feds

A prominent New Jersey defense attorney who has spent the last several years jailed without bail, awaiting trial in a federal case that accuses him of running his Newark law firm as a criminal racketeering enterprise is now claiming it’s the feds whose conduct needs to be scrutinized. Before Paul…

Aug 24, 2012 1:16 PM CDT

Former BigLaw Partner Faces More Federal Charges in Child Porn Distribution Case

A former partner of Allen & Overy charged last year in a child pornography distribution case is now jailed, at least for the weekend, after being federally indicted on additional counts. Edward M. De Sear, 65, of Saddle River, N.J., had been free on $250,000 bail after being charged last…

Aug 23, 2012 9:45 PM CDT

Federal Judge OKs Mom’s Suit Against Maker of Breastfeeding How-To Film Used in 3rd Party’s Porn

A New Jersey mother who agreed to be featured, without compensation, in a televised breastfeeding instructional film says she was horrified to discover the video had been altered and posted online as part of a pornography film, using her full name. Now a federal judge in New Jersey has given…

Aug 10, 2012 5:56 PM CDT

Law Firms Still Victimized in Fake-Check Web Scams; Trial Looms for Nigerian Accused in $32M Swindle

Despite widespread publicity about law firms targeted in Internet and email scams that have siphoned five- and six-figure sums out of their bank accounts, some are still falling victim to the schemes. The problem is, legitimate clients do business in much the same way as the scammers, often contacting counsel…

Aug 7, 2012 5:51 PM CDT

Ex-BigLaw Associate Sentenced to Record 12 Years Says ‘Excitement’ Drove $37M Insider-Trading Scheme

Sentenced to a record 12-year prison term for insider trading, a former BigLaw associate–who admittedly revealed to his partners in white-collar crime confidential information from four of the six law firms at which he worked–says he carried on with the long-running scheme largely for the thrills he got from it.…

Jul 31, 2012 5:28 PM CDT

Defendant Lawyer in Lender-Racketeering Case Seeks Severance From ‘La Cosa Nostra Allegations’

An attorney representing a Pennsylvania lawyer in a federal racketeering case concerning the claimed takeover and looting of a Texas-based mortgage company is seeking to sever his client’s trial from that of a co-defendant facing what the defense attorney calls “La Cosa Nostra allegations.” Otherwise, argues the severance motion, Gary…

Jul 24, 2012 1:25 PM CDT

After Settling Plaintiff Lawyer’s Civil Rights Suit, Phila. Tries to Make Stop-and-Frisks Courteous

With violent crimes on the increase this year in Philadelphia and other major cities, the so-called stop-and-frisk is seen by many as a standard tool to use to crack down on possible perpetrators and illegal guns they may have in their possession. However, police in Philadelphia are trying to question…

Jul 11, 2012 9:45 PM CDT

Top Pa. Court Disbars Ex-Judge Convicted in Auto Insurance Fraud; Civil Suit Says Judge Is Victim

A retired Pennsylvania judge who at last report was serving a 46-month federal prison sentence after being convicted in a $440,000 auto insurance fraud case has been disbarred. In a brief order (PDF) attaching an earlier Disciplinary Board report, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Thursday imposed the disbarment on Michael…

Jun 18, 2012 7:40 PM CDT