Letitia Files: Legal Precedent Suggests Letitia James Could Face Disbarment in New York
There weeks ago, America First Legal (AFL) filed a formal bar complaint with the New York State Grievance Committee against Attorney General Letitia James.
In New York state, attorneys are held to stringent ethical standards. Violations, especially those involving dishonesty or fraud, can lead to severe disciplinary consequences, including disbarment and criminal prosecution.
Historically, New York has disbarred attorneys who engage in mortgage fraud and related misconduct. This precedent does not bode well for Letitia James.
Examples of New York attorneys who have been disbarred due to their involvement in mortgage fraud include Akintayo Abimbola Ayorinde, a Brooklyn attorney who was disbarred after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud in a mortgage fraud scheme that resulted in over $10 million in fraudulent loans.
Ayorinde was one of three attorneys indicted in the scheme, which charged a total of 10 individuals.
George Guldi, a former Suffolk County legislator and attorney, was disbarred and convicted of defrauding Ditech Financial LLC out of more than $250,000.
While serving a prison sentence for unrelated charges, Guldi, along with co-conspirator Victoria Davidson, orchestrated a scheme to defraud the mortgage lender. Both were convicted of conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud, wire fraud, and bank fraud.