Disbarred Armonk lawyer indicted on charges she stole $3.5 million from clients

by Jonathan Bandler

An Armonk lawyer who was disbarred over allegations she stole millions from clients by keeping the money from their real estate closings has been indicted on criminal charges.

Laurianne DeLitta, 50, of Briarcliff Manor pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges of second-degree grand larceny, accused of stealing $3.5 million from eight clients or their estates between 2017 and this March. 

She is also charged with unlawful practice of a profession after she allegedly continued to act as a lawyer despite the disciplinary proceedings against her. She was disbarred in May, seven months after agreeing to resign as a lawyer because she had no defense to the misconduct claims that the grievance committee of the 9th Judicial District was investigating.

One of the six lawsuits against DeLitta alleged that she kept $495,000 from a sale of a Bronx property in late January when she should not have been conducting any real estate transactions based on her agreement.

In some cases, DeLitta was a lawyer for multiple generations of a family and the alleged thefts occurred when she assisted in the sale of the home after her original client had died. 

The lawsuits against her detail extensive efforts to get the money from the closings and her empty promises to turn over what the clients were owed. Details of what DeLitta spent their money on was not provided by the Westchester District Attorney's Office but clients and their lawyers have said they were aware that she had a special needs child.

DeLitta could not be reached Wednesday evening. A lawyer representing her, Steven Siegel, called her the "finest" lawyer he had ever worked with and said "major efforts are being undertaken to unwind the escrow issue." He would not elaborate.

Mark Goidell, a lawyer who has sued DeLitta on behalf of two clients, said they have heard countless times empty promises that their money would be paid. Both his clients have gotten some money from the state Lawyer Fund for Client Protection. 

Goidell and other lawyers for DeLitta's clients had complained about the slow pace of the criminal investigation since complaints were made last year. "We're grateful that the District Attorney's Office has taken steps to help make my clients whole and make Ms. DeLitta face the consequences for her criminal actions," Goidell said Wednesday.

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Disbarred Armonk lawyer indicted on charges she stole $3.5 million from clients

Financial advisor found guilty of stealing $1.1M from clients sentenced to 9 years in prison

How to help your family members avoid similar scams

MILFORD, Ohio — Gregory Oliver, owner of Oliver Financial Services in Milford, will spend the next nine years behind bars after he was found guilty of stealing from 18 of his clients, including seniors.

Ohio Department of Insurance Investigators discovered that Oliver did more than advise his clients, claiming he took more than $1.1 million from his clients through fraud and coercion between 2011 and 2018. He was charged with six counts of theft in February.

Cathy Rolfes said her two cousins and their deceased mother were taken for roughly $300,000.

“She trusted (Oliver) as if he were her son. I mean, he attended her funeral. He kind of presented himself as a member of the family,” Rolfes said.

Now, she considers that “family member” a con-artist.

“One of my cousins in particular, he really put themselves in a position of being her power of attorney, her executor,” she said. “He transferred the title of her house into his name and put it into an irrevocable trust. The legal ramifications of that we are still trying to work through.”

Rolfes worked with the Ohio Department of Insurance Investigators and reached out to attorneys at Pro Seniors, a non-profit group trying to help them recover the stolen money. On Monday, Rolfes attended the hearing when Oliver was sentenced to nine years in prison and ordered to pay more than $990,000 in restitution to the victims.

“I do feel like justice was served ... I think the judge truly understood the severity of what he did," she said.

Department of Insurance Assistant Director of Fraud and Enforcement Michelle Rafeld said Oliver’s sentence sends a clear message that stealing from consumers, especially seniors, will not be tolerated.

"The majority of agents are good agents and aren't defrauding their clients. But we will aggressively take action on those who choose to break the law," she told WCPO.

Since many similar situations involve complex financial crimes, Rafeld said some cases can take several years to fully investigate.

"Our investigative staff are well trained in gathering and analyzing information in order to determine if a crime has been committed," she said.

Miriam Sheline, managing attorney at Pro Seniors, said the financial exploitation of seniors is all too common. The attorneys have worked with Rolfes' cousins to file civil lawsuits against Oliver to try and recoup some if not all of what was taken from them.

“This individual was a family friend for many years, and yet he was doing improper things," Sheline said. "You can’t trust someone to the point of just turning over control to everything in regard to your finances.”

The best protection is prevention, Sheline said.

“What we can do is stop the bleeding, stop the damage going forward. But once it is out the door, it is very hard to get it back,” she said.

For more help, Ohio seniors age 60 or older may call to schedule a free phone appointment with an attorney on the Pro Seniors Legal Helpline at (513) 345-4160.

Find more resources on the Pro Seniors website or on Broker Check, a free Financial Industry Regulatory Authority tool to research the background of financial brokers, advisers and firms.

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Financial advisor found guilty of stealing $1.1M from clients sentenced to 9 years in prison

Lawyer charged with embezzling $426k

A former attorney has been charged with stealing $426,000 from his clients.

Connecticut State Police say 65-year-old John Butts, of Salem, has been charged with first-degree larceny after taking funds from two people he had represented in probate matters.

Police say in one of the instances, the former Salem probate judge failed to provide a woman more than $150,000 from the sale of her late father's condominium. In another instance, Butts took about $276,000 from a client.

The state Division of Criminal Justice says Butts was suspended from practicing law last February and surrendered his law license in September.

He's been released pending his arraignment in Norwich Superior Court on Jan. 25. A phone number listed for Butts was unable to accept new messages Thursday because its inbox was full.

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Lawyer charged with embezzling $426k

Former Hendersonville attorney faces more theft charges

Andy Allman

Former Hendersonville attorney Andy Allman who was previously arrested and indicted for allegedly stealing funds from clients has been indicted and charged with 11 more counts of theft of property and falsely representing himself as a lawyer.

On Dec. 6, a grand jury indicted Allman with nine counts of theft of property and two counts of falsely representing himself as a lawyer. His arraignment is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Friday.

Last December, 18th Judicial District Attorney General Ray Whitley asked that the TBI investigate allegations of theft by the former attorney.  Several of Allman's former clients filed complaints alleging he stole funds from them while acting as their attorney.

"During the course of the investigation, agents developed information that Allman had taken funds from his clients from December 2012 through October 2016," the TBI's release said.

Allman was suspended from practicing law in September 2016.

On Aug. 9, the Sumner County Grand Jury returned indictments charging Allman with 19 counts of theft of property, seven counts of falsely representing himself as a lawyer, one count of impersonating a licensed professor and one count of practicing law without a license. 

A hearing for those charges has been scheduled for Jan. 11, 2018.

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Former Hendersonville attorney faces more theft charges