TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) – A man accused of pretending to be an architect in order to steal money from unsuspecting clients was arrested.

Police say Paul Newman, President of Cohesion Studios, Inc., took the license number of a registered architect he found on the internet and created a fake registration stamp using his own name.

Newman was then contracted for six projects in Albany, Rensselaer, and Saratoga Counties. Projects included the Pastures Townhouse Project in Rensselaer, the Lofts Project in Malta, and a renovation project for Hannoush Jewelers in Colonie.

“As we allege, for over seven years the defendant has pretended to be a Registered Architect, deceiving hundreds of New Yorkers – including families and senior citizens — with the sole goal of enriching himself,” said Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. “By allegedly falsifying building plans, code compliance inspections, and field reports, the defendant jeopardized the safety of those who resided in and frequented the buildings he was contracted to work on. Deceptive actions like these erode public trust — and my office will not tolerate them.”

The projects totaled more than $188,000. He faces 58 counts and if found guilty could be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison.