A criminal conviction led to an attorney’s disbarment by the New York Appellate Division for the First Judicial Department.

On April 25, 2016, respondent did, in fact, plead guilty to the Superior Court information alleging that he received $220,000 as a down payment in a real estate transaction for the purchase of an apartment in Manhattan. After depositing the funds into his IOLA account, respondent proceeded, over the next two months, to spend the money for purposes entirely unrelated to the transaction. On May 16, 2016, respondent was sentenced to a term of 2 to 7 years, with the sentences to run concurrently.

Felony theft convictions lead to automatic disbarment in New York.

The Real Deal reported on the crimes. (Mike Frisch)