Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Pennsylvania Attorney Indicted in Fraud and Forgery

Michael D. Kasprenski , 43, Allentown, Pennsylvania was indicted on nine counts of mail fraud, 11 counts of wire fraud, one count of bank fraud and three counts of filing false federal income tax returns.

Kasprenski was an attorney who operated the Kasprenski Law Office located at 2310 Walbert Avenue, Suite 103, in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The charges arise between October 2002 and February 2006 from Kasprenski representing various decedent estates in Berks County and Lehigh County, and embezzling money from the estates totaling over $1.5 million dollars.

“He saw an opportunity to profit from someone else’s pain,” said Pennsylvania U.S. Attorney Patrick Meehan. “Instead of representing the interests of his clients during difficult times, he exploited their anguish and their vulnerability and built a vacation home.”

Kasprenski is charged in a mail fraud scheme in which he defrauded decedent estate clients by forging names on documents which he submitted to financial institutions and investment firms. The indictment alleges that Kasprenski used the mail to devise a scheme to defraud various individuals who were clients of Kasprenski, and to obtain money and property by means of false and fraudulent pretenses, representations and promises.

Kasprenski is also charged in connection with a wire fraud scheme in which he defrauded decedent estate clients by forging names on documents which he submitted to financial institutions and investment firms. In addition to decedent estate clients, the indictment alleges that Kasprenski also defrauded various real estate transaction clients. The indictment further alleges that Kasprenski used client funds without their authorization and had those funds wired to his attorney IOLTA account, which he then used for his personal use and benefit.

Other counts charge Kasprenski with bank fraud. The indictment alleges that on or about January 27, 2006, Kasprenski wrote a check on an American Bank account which he knew was closed and cashed the check at Lafayette Ambassador Bank.

Kasprenski is also charged with filing a false federal income tax return for calendar years 2000, 2001 and 2002.

The government is also seeking to forfeit from the defendant the sum of $1,362,787.20 and real estate owned as a vacation home by the defendant located in Nova Scotia, Canada.

If convicted on all of the charges, defendant Kasprenski faces a possible maximum sentence of 439 years imprisonment, a $ 6,300,000 fine, 5 years supervised release and a $2,400 special assessment.

mortgage fraud