Valley Cottage Man Accused of Pretending to be a Lawyer

Michael Schorr of Valley Cottage has been accused of conning judges and unsuspecting clients by passing himself off as a licensed attorney, according to New York State Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman.

Schneiderman said that for four years Schorr, 72, held himself out as a lawyer in New York, defrauding multiple victims of tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees. He is accused of filing false and forged documents with the courts and lying to federal immigration judges.

A 35-count indictment charges Schorr with felony grand larceny and scheme to defraud, among other charges. He faces up to seven years in prison.

“This imposter claimed to be a lawyer and preyed on unsuspecting immigrants who were in desperate need of sound legal advice and stole their money," said Schneiderman. "By repeatedly making false representations to judges about his status and soliciting clients into believing he could help them during their critical immigration proceedings, this man was committing a brazen fraud while jeopardizing the livelihoods of his victims during a particularly vulnerable point. He will be held accountable."

According to the indictment filed in Manhattan state Supreme Court, Schorr misrepresented himself as an attorney to clients and potential clients and appeared in United States Immigration Courts at 201 Varick Street and 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan. He filed false and forged documents with the courts stating that he was a licensed attorney in good standing in New York. Schorr is accused of using two attorney registration numbers belonging to other attorneys with valid licenses and making up a third registration number.

Schneiderman said Schorr solicited and represented many victims in court who believed that he was an attorney and trusted him to provide legal advice in matters of the utmost importance to them. According to the indictment and statements made by the prosecutor at arraignment, Schorr not only stole their money but also gave them poor legaladvice, which will now result in many cases needing to be re-opened.

Schorr's alleged victims include many from Brazil and at least one Israeli and one Mexican citizen.

Schorr appeared on multiple occasions in the federal immigration and other courts pretending to be a lawyer and representing his "clients" in removal and criminal proceedings. In one instance, when a federal judge told Shorr there was no record of him being a registered attorney, Schorr falsely stated that he had been licensed as an attorney in New York since 1967. 

The Attorney General's investigation found that, in addition to New York County, the Schorr represented himself on the record to be an attorney in criminal and immigration court matters in other counties and also in New Jersey. Schneiderman said the investigation continues.

The indictment charges Schorr with Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree (a Class "E" felony), Grand Larceny in the Third Degree (a Class "D" felony), Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree (a Class "E" felony), Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree (a Class "E" felony), Forgery in the Third Degree (a Class "A" misdemeanor) and Practicing or Appearing as an Attorney-at-Law Without Being Admitted and Registered (a Class "A" misdemeanor).

Schorr was arraigned Monday before Manhattan State Supreme Court Justice Charles Solomon. He was ordered held without bail. 

Schneiderman said that if you feel you have been a victim of this type of crime or if you have additional information regarding this matter, contact the Attorney General’s office at (212) 416-6521. Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking personnel will be available for individuals who do not speak English.

Attorneys must be licensed in the State of New York by the New York State Unified Court System, Office of Court Administration. If possible, Schneiderman said that before meeting or retaining an attorney, consumers should confirm his or her license on the OCA website: iapps.courts.state.ny.us/attorney/AttorneySearch.

If you are seeking legal representation outside of New York State, contact that state's licensing authority to confirm that the person is in fact licensed to practice in that jurisdiction.

The investigation was handled by Investigator Sixto Santiago, under the supervision of Supervising Investigator Kenneth Morgan, Deputy Chief of Investigations John McManus and Chief Dominick Zarella. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Joseph G. D'Arrigo, with the aid of Legal Analyst David Lisante, of the Criminal Prosecutions Bureau, and under the supervision of Deputy Bureau Chief Stephanie Swenton, Bureau Chief Gail Heatherly and Executive Deputy Attorney General for Criminal Justice Kelly Donovan.