Disbarred Closing Lawyer Gets 1 Year in Bank Fraud Case; Counsel Says He Was Only Helping Clients
A disbarred New York closing attorney was sentenced Tuesday to a year and a day in federal prison after being convicted last year by a Manhattan jury of bank fraud and money laundering concerning real estate matters he handled in Westchester County.
Louis Cherico must also forfeit $17,500 and serve two years of supervised release, the Journal News reports.
His defense lawyer, Jeffrey C. Hoffman, said Cherico only sought to help clients, as U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon recognized when she sentenced him,
“Judge McMahon found … that there was no motive for his actions—no economic motive or other motive— that seemed to be obvious other than trying to help his clients,” Hoffman said. “Judge McMahon based the sentence on the fact that when a lawyer takes an oath to uphold the law … the violation of that oath requires punishment.”
Earlier coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “NY Closing Attorney Is Convicted of Bank Fraud and Money Laundering”
