Former Schaumburg attorney guilty of stealing $200K from clients, including relatives

A former Schaumburg lawyer faces up to 15 years in prison after he was convicted Tuesday of swindling his relatives and others out of more than $200,000, officials said.

A jury found Lino J. Menconi, 52, guilty of two counts of theft of more than $100,000 each, according to the Cook County state’s attorney’s office.

The Illinois Supreme Court suspended and then in 2014 disbarred Menconi after the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission accused him of stealing more than $600,000 from clients starting as far back as 2006.

The commission accused him of misleading clients and forging their signatures on settlement payments for money to pay for his mortgage, his children's education, property taxes and country club bills.

His victims included his aunt and uncle, Judy and Leno Menconi, of Oak Lawn. Their son, Mike Menconi, said his parents, now deceased, were in poor health when his cousin took advantage of them, and that their financial losses may have contributed to his father going to a nursing home rather than receiving home health care.

Lino Menconi “is like a serial lying sort of predator,” Mike Menconi said. “He’s just going to take your money and disappear. … I feel like I got justice for my parents.”

Menconi represented himself in the case, though he is no longer a practicing attorney. Prosecutors requested that Menconi be taken into custody following the decision, Mike Menconi said, but he was allowed to remain free on bond.

Sentencing has been set for March 1.

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Former Schaumburg attorney guilty of stealing $200K from clients, including relatives