98-Year-Old Lawyer Scammed by Friend Who Gave Him Office Space, DA Says
Prosecutors say a 98-year-old semiretired lawyer was scammed by a purported friend who loaned him office space and then accessed financial records stored there.
Manhattan business consultant Harry Abrams, 76, is accused of draining $330,000 from bank accounts of the New York trusts and estates lawyer, Emanuel Baetich, according to stories by the Associated Press, the New York Daily News and Reuters.
Abrams allegedly waited until Baetich was hospitalized for hip surgery in July 2009 before redeeming several certificates of deposit that belonged to the lawyer. Prosecutors say Abrams used the money to pay expenses charged on his business American Express card, to pay for a trip to Puerto Rico and to make purchases from Lands’ End, Costco and Jenny Craig, according to a press release by the New York County District Attorney’s office.
After his surgery, Baetich was admitted to a nursing facility. Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Loewy said banks alerted authorities because of concerns about activities in Baetich’s accounts, according to the AP story. Baetich “is completely devastated,” she said.
