A man who claimed to be a registered architect defrauded businesses and municipalities in upstate New York of more than $200,000 since 2010, the New York attorney general alleged on Thursday in a news release that openly acknowledged how similar the accusations were to a long-running joke on “Seinfeld.”

The attorney general, Eric T. Schneiderman, said that Paul J. Newman — yes, his surname is Newman, just like Jerry’s nemesis on the sitcom — drafted architectural renderings for over 100 properties in Albany, Rensselaer and Saratoga Counties. He is accused of submitting forged stamps in documents to several towns and cities, according to the news release, and was hired to work on projects including townhouses and senior-living communities.

While George Costanza never faced serious consequences for pretending to be an architect on “Seinfeld,” Mr. Newman, the president of Cohesion Studios Inc., would face up to 15 years in prison if convicted of the highest count charged.

“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,” Mr. Schneiderman said in a statement about what his office called Operation Vandelay Industries. “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.”