PI Lawyer Pleads in $2.2M Client Theft, Will Get Between 3 and 9 Years
A New York personal injury lawyer has pleaded guilty in a $2.2 million client theft case and is expected to get between three and nine years.
In addition to pleading guilty to grand larceny and scheming to defraud concerning the theft of client escrow and settlement funds, Marc Bernstein, 55, also pleaded guilty to failing to file New York state tax returns, reports Bloomberg, relying on information from the Manhattan District Attorney’s office.
Spokeswoman Tracy Golden of the DA’s office said Bernstein was promised a maximum sentence of three to nine years in exchange for his plea. A restitution hearing is scheduled for early June.
Prosecutors say Bernstein stole from 16 clients between 2006 and 2009, often negotiating a settlement and then keeping the money for himself or paying an earlier client rather than providing the money to the client to whom it was due, the news agency reports.
Admitted to practice in 1982, the now-former Bernstein & Bernstein name partner had his law license suspended a year ago. If convicted at trial, he would have faced a maximum sentence of 15 years on a second-degree grand larceny charge.
Additional and related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “PI Lawyer Is Charged with Evading Taxes”
ABAJournal.com: “Once Set for Life, Ark. Plaintiffs Lawyer Takes Plea in $9.3M Client Theft Case”
New York Daily News: “Disgraced lawyer who admitted stealing client money: I was scared of blackmailer”
Updated on April 6 to link to subsequent N.Y. Daily News article.
