Disbarred Lake Success attorney Sean O'Leary accused of stealing $60,000 from client, Nassau DA says

A disbarred Lake Success lawyer accused of stealing $60,000 from a client was arraigned Wednesday in Nassau County criminal court on one count of second-degree grand larceny, Nassau District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly said. 

Sean O’Leary, 64, pleaded not guilty at arraignment before Judge Norman Sammut and was released on his own recognizance, Donnelly’s office said. O’Leary, a resident of Huntington, is scheduled to return to court on Wednesday. He could not be reached for comment. 

Donnelly said O’Leary’s client was injured in a car accident in May 2018. She hired O’Leary to represent her in a personal injury claim and he negotiated a settlement with the other driver’s insurance company. 

In January 2021, O’Leary had the victim sign a release allowing a $90,000 settlement check to be issued to him. He was supposed to keep $30,000 as a legal fee and forward the remaining funds to the victim, Donnelly said. 

The victim never received her share of the settlement from O’Leary, despite multiple requests. Instead, the defendant withdrew the funds from her account through domestic wire transfers, checks written to himself, and other withdrawals, Nassau prosecutors said.

“This defendant allegedly exploited his client at a vulnerable time, stealing tens of thousands of dollars that she received to settle a personal injury claim after a car accident,” Donnelly said. “Navigating the difficult process of making an injury-related claim is eased for many by hiring a personal injury attorney. Clients should never have to worry that the attorney they hire may violate their trust and deceive them.”

O’Leary, who was disbarred in April 2022, faces up to five to 15 years in prison if convicted.

The decision from the New York State Supreme Court Appellate Division’s Second Judicial Department said O’Leary had been accused of 19 violations of professional misconduct. Those violations include failing to pay money due a client and engaging in conduct “involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation.”

Nassau prosecutors said anybody who believes they were a victim of a crime by O’Leary should contact the district attorney’s Criminal Complaint Bureau at 516-571-3505.