Does this guy look like a thief? Okay, I know that kind of question is pretty loaded in that in relies upon assumptions about race, gender, wealth, etc. But this guy is also a lawyer, and you should be able to trust your lawyer not to steal from you. There’s a whole code of ethics lawyers are supposed to follow and like 90% of the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) comes down to “don’t mix your money with your client’s money.” So really, this should be a no-brainer.

I suppose it does take all types — even those that really believe they can get away with it. And yay! I guess since we here at ATL love writing about this kind of nonsense.

Meet Daniel Spitalnic. He’s an attorney out in Great Neck, New York, and a proud graduate of New York Law School. And, according to Acting Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas, he’s a big ole’ thief. He was arrested on Wednesday for three counts of Grand Larceny in the 2nd Degree, one count of Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the 2nd Degree, and one count of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the 1st Degree for his actions in two different cases.

In the first case, Spitalnic allegedly applied for a loan while pretending that he was the part owner of a business owned by his former mother-in-law, and used the money for his own, personal expenses. I have no idea the circumstances under which the complainant became Spitalnic’s former mother-in-law, but you probably don’t want to piss off someone that just might have an added incentive to turn you over to the authorities:

Spitalnic’s former mother-in-law became aware of suspicious activity in May when she went to pay real estate taxes and learned that the taxes were already paid by a title company. She confronted the defendant, who said he took out the mortgage because he owed money and told her that she would be paid back. Spitalnic then gave the woman a Satisfaction of Mortgage document that claimed that the loan had been satisfied. The document, however, which was filed with the Nassau County Clerk’s Office in May, was a forgery.

The second case is really the one that tests your faith in the profession. It seems while representing the buyers of a home, Spitalnic allegedly stole the down payment — an amount in excess of $170,000:

In the second case, the defendant represented a family that was selling a home in Manhasset. A purchaser paid a down payment by check in June in the amount of $171,500, which was to be held in escrow by Spitalnic pending the closing. The closing on the property was held on Sept. 8 but the escrow money – minus $7,460 due to a title insurance company – was never received by the sellers. The check issued by Spitalnic to the title insurance company in the amount of $7,460 did not clear due to insufficient funds in the escrow account.

For those of you who are sh*tty at math that totals $471,500 that Spitalnic is accused of stealing. Hope he still has enough to afford a fancy lawyer. Sounds like he needs one.

Attorney Arrested for Stealing in Excess of $470,000 in Multiple Thefts [Nassau County News Flash]