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Nonlawyer with a multistate law practice gets 12-year sentence

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A New Jersey man convicted of posing as a lawyer while running a multistate law practice has been sentenced to 12 years in prison.



Leaford George Cameron, 65, of Burlington, New Jersey, was sentenced Wednesday, report NJ.com, the Cherry Hill Courier Post and Philly.com. He defrauded more than 100 victims and collected more than $200,000 in attorney fees, according to a press release by U.S, Attorney William McSwain of Philadelphia.

Cameron was on probation for a 2014 conviction for impersonating a lawyer when he operated a phony law firm that gave rise to the new charges. He was convicted in February for mail fraud, wire fraud and false statements.

Cameron had referred to his phony law firm by two different names: the Law Offices of Cameron, Hamilton and Associates, and the Law Offices of Bernstein, Cameron, Hamilton and Associates. He had practiced law in state and federal courts, using attorney identification numbers of licensed Pennsylvania lawyers.

In the press release, McSwain said evidence at trial had shown that Cameron “was not only a phony lawyer, but also an incompetent phony lawyer.” Many of his “clients” were immigrants and low-income people, including a National Honor Society student who was wrongfully deported.

See also: Nonlawyer accused of practicing since 2003 faces federal charges