White Collar Crime

Disbarred lawyer faces likely prison time after admitting theft of more than $1M from 2 clients

Disbarred by consent in 2010, a former New York lawyer is now facing likely prison time after admitting to stealing more than $1 million from two ex-clients. Janice Jessup, 68, pleaded guilty to grand larceny Monday in Nassau County Court, Newsday (sub. req.) and the Associated Press report. Prosecutors said…

Jan 12, 2016 2:15 PM CST

Former Dewey chairman avoids retrial with deferred prosecution deal

The former chairman of Dewey & LeBoeuf has reached a deferred prosecution agreement in a case alleging that he and other law firm leaders misled lenders and bond buyers about the firm’s finances before its collapse. Former firm chairman Steven Davis agreed not to practice law for five years in…

Jan 8, 2016 11:26 AM CST

Disbarred lawyer charged with stealing $3M from clients

A former New York lawyer was arrested by federal authorities on Thursday and charged with wire fraud for allegedly stealing some $3 million from clients over a seven-year period, starting in 2008. Stuart Schlesinger, 75, is charged with one count of wire fraud after allegedly lying to eight clients in…

Dec 21, 2015 1:40 PM CST

Lawyer and 5 others face charges in claimed mortgage-fraud scheme

A Rhode Island lawyer has been criminally charged, along with five other defendants, in a claimed mortgage-fraud scheme between 2007 and 2014 involving over a dozen properties in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Louis Marandola, 41, is accused of conspiring with others, including a real estate agent, loan workers and an…

Dec 17, 2015 4:00 PM CST

IMF chief Christine Lagarde faces surprise prosecution over her previous work as finance minister

Now in charge of the International Monetary Fund, a former chair of Baker & McKenzie is facing a surprise prosecution over her role in a 2008 compensation award of more than 400 million euros to a French businessman. Christine Lagarde, 59, was the finance minister for French president Nicolas Sarkozy…

Dec 17, 2015 3:20 PM CST

Drug company CEO Martin Shkreli and law firm partner arrested in securities fraud case

A partner in the New York office of a major law firm was arrested Thursday, accused in a federal indictment of conspiring with a well-known entrepreneur and former hedge fund manager in a portion of a claimed securities fraud. Current Kaye Scholer partner Evan Greebel worked with fellow defendant Martin…

Dec 17, 2015 11:10 AM CST

Lawyer accused of stealing $400K pleads guilty

A Georgia lawyer has taken a plea after stealing more than $400,000 from clients, authorities say. Donald Carlton Gibson pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud in federal court in Brunswick, and admitted keeping for his own purposes $80,000 in funds a client had given him to settle a…

Dec 15, 2015 3:10 PM CST

Jury convicts lawyer accused of helping client impersonate wealthy dad to get funding for Maxim deal

A former BigLaw attorney has gone down, along with his ex-client, in a federal fraud case over a claimed scheme to trick lenders into providing millions to buy Maxim magazine. Harvey Newkirk, 39, who was counsel to Bryan Cave at the time, was acquitted on two counts by a Manhattan…

Dec 15, 2015 12:15 PM CST

Wealthy lawyer who repaid with interest $800K stolen from clients gets probation in fraud case

Updated: An Arizona personal injury lawyer was already earning millions annually when he made what federal prosecutors termed an “inexplicable decision” to steal about $800,000, an average of $100,000 a year, from clients in vaccine cases. That resulted in a loss of Jay Bansal’s law license but no prison time…

Dec 14, 2015 5:00 PM CST

Once-powerful New York lawmaker, an attorney, is convicted on corruption charges

Already forced from his state senate leadership position and a law firm job by federal corruption charges, a New York lawmaker on Friday was convicted on all counts by a Manhattan jury, along with his son. Dean Skelos, 67, had remained a member of the state senate, although he gave…

Dec 14, 2015 9:05 AM CST

‘Humiliated’ ex-judge gets probation for running real estate business from chambers

Convicted earlier this year of theft of services and conflict of interest, for using his chambers and government staff to run a personal real estate business, a retired Philadelphia judge was sentenced Friday to three years of probation rather than jail time. But former Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Willis…

Dec 11, 2015 4:15 PM CST

Ex-prosecutor who stole $700K from clients had ‘profound remorse’ for prior claimed theft

A former New York prosecutor has admitted to embezzling $700,000 from four real estate clients. Robert DePalma, 54, who has a St. George law office and formerly worked for the Staten Island district attorney, has pleaded guilty to a scheme to defraud and four counts of second-degree grand larceny, said…

Dec 11, 2015 2:55 PM CST

Another lawyer is indicted in alleged scheme to file false certificates of completion with court

A Nevada lawyer was indicted Thursday on 138 felony and misdemeanor counts, accused of providing phony certificates of completion for clients to Las Vegas Justice Court between 2008 and 2010. A bench warrant was issued for Vicki Greco’s arrest and bond was set at $50,000 in the Clark County case,…

Dec 10, 2015 4:55 PM CST

Federal judge acquits 2 attorneys on multiple counts in movie tax-fraud case

A federal judge on Wednesday reversed multiple jury convictions against a prominent New Orleans attorney and a Hollywood movie producer who is also an attorney. Nearly a dozen counts against attorney Michael Arata were nixed by U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman, who said prosecutors in the case used “mean-spirited hype,”…

Dec 9, 2015 4:40 PM CST

Federal judge blasts ‘dirty lawyer,’ gives him jail time despite his help in cases against lawmakers

A disbarred New York Lawyer credited with helping the government successfully pursue corruption cases against three state senators and other government officials was sentenced to 18 months in prison on Monday by a federal judge who blasted him as a “dirty lawyer.” The prosecution in the Manhattan case had sought…

Dec 8, 2015 1:53 PM CST