Alfred DiGirolomo, Jr. pleaded guilty in April 2019 to stealing nearly $230,000 from client; Stole $675,000 from two other clients to pay restitution on first case
Mineola, N.Y. – Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas announced that a disbarred attorney has been sentenced to 1-1/3 years to four years in prison for stealing $675,000 from clients and using a portion of the stolen money to pay restitution on an unrelated NCDA case in which he pleaded guilty in April 2019 to stealing nearly $230,000.
Alfred DiGirolomo, Jr., 65, of Manhasset, pleaded guilty on December 21, 2020, to three counts of grand larceny in the second degree in satisfaction of the charges for stealing the $675,000 from two clients and pleaded guilty to one count of grand larceny in the second degree on April 4, 2019, for stealing nearly $230,000 from a separate client. Read press release here.
The defendant was sentenced on Monday for both cases by Judge Teresa Corrigan to 1-1/3 years to four years in prison and restitution by civil judgment for $680,000.
“Alfred DiGirolomo swindled multiple clients to pay for country club dues and cigars, and in one case, stole from one client to repay another victim,” DA Singas said. “My office has prosecuted more than 25 attorneys for criminally victimizing their clients, and this defendant’s case should send a strong message to all lawyers that betraying their clients can come with a heavy price.”
DA Singas said that in February 2016, the defendant fraudulently coordinated a funding agreement between two clients. The agreement was for client one – a married couple in a federal workers’ compensation case – to obtain a $100,000 loan with interest from client two. The defendant made the agreement without the married couple’s knowledge.
DiGirolomo told the second client that at the successful conclusion of the workers’ compensation case, the married couple planned to repay the loan with interest.
DiGirolomo allegedly forged the husband’s signature on an agreement and $100,000 was paid by client two into the defendant’s business account. The married couple did not receive any of the money from DiGirolomo.
In October 2018, the defendant stole another $125,000 in a real estate transaction from the second client.
In this instance, DiGirolomo allegedly received a $125,000 down payment intended for the client on October 10, 2018, and by October 31, 2018, the defendant had spent the money for his own purposes and the account had a zero balance.
In June 2019, DiGirolomo received a $650,000 settlement check in connection with the workers’ compensation case involving the married couple. The defendant signed the couple’s name on the check – without their consent – and deposited it into one of his business accounts. According to the agreement between the couple and DiGirolomo, the attorney was entitled to 30% of the recovery – approximately $195,000 – and trial-related expenses of approximately $5,000.
The defendant used $130,000 of that settlement check to complete restitution in the earlier case. He was automatically disbarred and precluded from the practice of law because of his felony plea on April 4, 2019.
By November 13, 2019, the account, which started with $650,000, was drawn down to approximately $800.00. It is alleged that the defendant used the money for credit card payments, utilities, gasoline, automobiles, home furnishings, a gym, business expenses and restaurants.
In the initial case, DiGirolomo used the funds to pay for expenses related to a cigar club and a country club, as well as other personal expenses.
Senior Investigative Counsel Jennifer Contreras of DA Singas’ Financial Crimes Bureau is prosecuting this case. Robert Del Col, Esq. represents the defendant.
###