Lawyer who fraudulently inserted client names in asbestos cases gets two years in federal prison
A former New Jersey lawyer who, while still in practice, added to his Haddonfield firm’s bottom line by deleting the names of actual plaintiffs and inserting the names of its clients in already-filed New York asbestos lawsuits has been sentenced to two years in federal prison.
Arobert C. Tonagbanua, now 47, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in 2014. Prosecutors said his scheme generated $1 million in bogus fees, costs and settlements for the law firm and personally benefited Tonagbanua, who got bonuses and pay raises as a result, according to the Associated Press and the Courier-Post.
While working at the firm between 2008 and 2012, Tonagbanua made the substitutions in more than 100 lawsuits, circulating the doctored documents to clients and their insurers. Then he attended depositions, handled other discovery matters and settled cases on clients’ behalf, said U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman in a news release.
Tonagbanua committed the crime “to increase business and his standing in the firm,” Fishman said.
In addition to the prison time, Tonagbanua must also pay about $233,000.
His name was spelled as Tonogbanua in a prior news release by the U.S. Attorney’s office.
Related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Lawyer who inserted client names into 100 asbestos suits to get defense fees takes wire-fraud plea”
