Judge Orders Paralegal and His Legal Nonprofit to Pay $2.2M, Bars Further Work for Inmates in NJ
A New Jersey judge has ordered a paralegal and his nonprofit legal assistance organization to pay $2.2 million and stop doing work for inmates in the state.
The order last week in the Essex County Superior Court case came after Bruce Buccolo and the Project Freedom Fund failed to respond to a Consumer Fraud Act lawsuit filed by the state attorney general, the Star-Ledger reports.
It contended that Buccolo and Project Freedom charged inmates a $350 consulting fee and then did little or nothing in return. When legal services were provided, the suit said, it was by a nonlawyer or disbarred lawyer.
The Star-Ledger could not immediately reach Buccolo for comment, but noted he told the newspaper last year that the suit was “all lies.”
Additional coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Disbarred Lawyer Accused of Duping Inmates with Phony Nonprofit”
Cliffview Pilot: “New Jersey authorities win $2.2 million judgment against bogus inmate legal service”
