Kristina Galjour, 45, who “purported to be an attorney” in an attempt
to drain a special needs man's trust fund, was found guilty this week
by a Jefferson Parish judge.
By
Dorian Geiger
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| Kristina Galjour
Photo:
Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office
|
A Louisiana woman who
falsely posed as a lawyer to swindle a $2 million trust fund from an
autistic man will spend two decades behind bars.
Kristina Galjour was sentenced to
20 years in prison on Monday for draining the trust fund of a special
needs man in Jefferson Parish.
The 45-year-old paralegal, who
falsely “purported to be an attorney,” spent the man’s inheritance on
travel, clothes, and a luxury sports car, after misleading him into
signing over power of attorney to her, according to a police report
obtained by Oxygen.com.
She pleaded guilty to theft over $25,000 and practicing law without a license on Nov. 15, additional court documents show.
In 2015, the victim inherited the
trust and two properties when his parents passed away, according to a
police report obtained by Oxygen.com.
Real estate planning firm Legacy Law Center, where Galjour worked, had
been appointed to oversee the trust. Galjour, who isn’t licensed to
practice law, prosecutors said, later falsely presented herself as a
real estate lawyer to the unsuspecting man.
“Galjour inserted herself into
[victim’s] trust and informed him, she was his attorney and that he
needed to sign documents giving her full authority to oversee the trust
in his best interests,” the police report stated. “Galjour was in fact
misleading [victim] to steal his $2,000,000 trust.”
Galjour ultimately convinced the man to sign over his New Orleans home to her. According to the Times-Picayune, Galjour invented
a story about a fictitious group of malevolent neighbors, who were
plotting to have the victim committed to a mental institution. The
paralegal led the man to believe the only way to salvage his property
was to put the property in her name.
As a result, one of the victim’s
homes went into foreclosure due to a “delinquent second mortgage she
opened illegally,” detectives wrote in charging documents.
Prosecutors say Galjour spent the man’s money on lavish parties, clothing, and even purchased a Jaguar in the man’s name.
A warrant was first issued for
Galjour in March 2020. On Monday, Galjour was ordered by a district
judge presiding over the case to pay $1.3 in restitution to her victim,
sentencing documents show.
"He's a little bit in shock,"
Erica Dudas, a neighbor and advocate for the man, told the
Times-Picayune. "I'm glad it's over, and he finally understands that
people believe him over her."
Dudas said there is also litigation in the works to retrieve his parents’ home.
"I'm confident that [his] life will get better, and we can open a new chapter," she told the newspaper.
Galjour is also required to pay
$14,500 in restitution to five other victims in the case. Eight other
charges, ranging from bank fraud, money laundering, and exploitation of
the infirmed, were dismissed in exchange for her guilty plea.
“With the criminal case against our former paralegal Kristina Galjour now over, I am thankful that some
level of justice has been served in this case as my practice is also a
victim of Ms. Galjour’s crimes,” Chris Kane, who founded Legacy Law
Center since 2016, said in a statement sent to Oxygen.com.
Kane said Galjour was
“immediately terminated” in 2018 after his firm learned of the fraud.
The estate planning attorney later notified the victim, he said, who
then ended his relationship with the real estate firm.
“Ms. Gajour was skilled at
covering her tracks and she actively concealed her relationship and
communications with the victim in this case,” Kane added. “We are glad
the victim finally saw his relationship with Ms. Galjour for what it was
when he decided to come forward in late 2019 and we are glad that Ms.
Galjour is suffering the consequences of her actions.”
The Jefferson Parish District
Attorney’s Office declined to comment further on the case following
Galjour’s sentencing this week.
