Former attorney Frank Adipietro stole money from ex-clients, DA says

A former criminal defense lawyer from Long Beach was arraigned Thursday on charges he stole thousands of dollars from seven former clients under the auspices of needing the money to pay bail and other fines associated with the victims’ criminal cases, authorities said.

Frank Adipietro, 51, surrendered Thursday morning to Nassau County district attorney investigators on allegations that include he bilked one of his clients of more than $80,000 by telling the victim that he had to make continuous payments to stay out of jail on a DWI charge, according to the district attorney’s office. Adipietro kept the money, authorities said.

Adipietro pleaded not guilty to felony charges of second-degree grand larceny and first-degree scheme to defraud in First District Court in Hempstead before Judge Joseph Girardi. He was given a conditional release and will be back in court April 4.

He faces up to 5 to 15 years in prison on the top charge if convicted, prosecutors said.

Adipietro declined to comment when leaving court. His attorney, Stephen Kalba of Queens, called Adipietro “a respected attorney who did the best for his clients.”

“My client intends to cooperate fully,” Kalba said. “My client is very remorseful. . . . We really don’t know much more. We have to discuss with the DA. This is all very shocking.”

Kalba said of the charges: “Some might be blown out of proportion, some might not.”

Adipietro resigned from the New York State Bar in August and can no longer practice law in the state, according to prosecutors.

“Attorneys have a responsibility to represent their clients in an honest and ethical manner,” Nassau District Attorney Madeline Singas said in a statement. “This former attorney allegedly enriched himself at the expense of his clients and I encourage anyone else who may have been victimized to contact our office and file a complaint.”

In the first theft, prosecutors said, Adipietro was hired in October 2011 by a client to represent him on a Nassau DWI charge, and lied to his client by telling the client in order for him to stay out on bail the client had to make continuous payments to the court.

Between October 2011 and June 2015, the client paid Adipietro approximately $80,650 in cash toward his bail so that he would be free, and the lawyer kept the money, prosecutors said.

Adipietro defrauded six other clients in separate matters, according to the district attorney’s office.

In one case, he told an Elmont client he was using money for “court fees” and the client no longer had to come to court, prosecutors said. A bench warrant was issued and the client was subsequently arrested.

In another case, Adipietro took money from a Bellmore client who had his motorcycle repossessed because Adipietro didn’t pay the bank the arrears as he should have, prosecutors said.

He also took $10,000 from the sister of a Baldwin client for bail even though the defendant had been remanded, prosecutors said.

Adipietro took about $3,200 from a client from Valley Stream to pay traffic tickets and told the client the tickets had been paid, but the client was subsequently arrested on a warrant, prosecutors said.

Adipietro also asked a Merrick client for $2,495 to pay fines and surcharges to “the people in Supreme Court,” according to the district attorney’s office. The client then discovered there were no fines or fees owed.

In another case, he accepted $2,500 from the sister of a defendant for bail even though her brother had already been released from custody, prosecutors said.

Adipietro was arrested in January 2015 on separate charges related to stealing money in a gambling case. That case is pending.

By Nicole Fuller

nicole.fuller@newsday.com@NicoleFuller

Nicole Fuller is Newsday's senior criminal justice reporter. She began working at Newsday in 2012 and previously covered local government.