Frank Racano Pleaded Guilty to Stealing from Late Judge John Phillips Estate

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Summary: An attorney hired to help with the estate of the late Judge John Phillips was sentenced to up to three years behind bars for stealing nearly $600,000 from the account.

Queens attorney Frank Racano stole over $500,000 from late Judge John Phillips’ estate. He will spend up to three years in prison for taking money from the escrow account.

  

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Racano pleaded guilty earlier this month to taking money from the account belonging to Phillips, known as “Kung Fu Judge,” when the historic Slave Theatre and adjacent lot sold for $2.28 million five years ago. The building was demolished this year.

Assistant District Attorney Frank Dudis said at the sentencing in Brooklyn Supreme Court, “For over several years, Racano took out thousands and paid off his mother’s condo until the account depleted to nothing.” Racano admitted in civil court last May to writing over 300 checks from the account. He was put in jail for 30 days and indicted for brazen grand larceny.

Prosecutors would have liked to see Racano serve four years but Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun decided on three years would do. Chun said, “Grand larceny in the second-degree does not always require jail time … I felt given the amount stolen and the abuse of his position as an attorney did not warrant no jail time.”

Racano must also pay back $587,161 to the estate. His attorney Samuel Karliner claims Racano has already paid back some of the money. One of Phillips’ attorneys, John O’Hara said, “It doesn’t surprise me. When attorneys embezzle a clients money, it’s never an isolated incident. They know what they are doing, they just decided to throw in the towel.”

This is not the first time Phillips’ estate has been attacked. In 2006, Maria Leyna Albertina pleaded guilty to stealing deeds to several homes in Brooklyn, including one that belonged to Phillips. Two years later, his former guardian, Emani Taylor, was ordered to pay back $403,000 to the estate. Dudis said, “This is hopefully the last straw to destroy the legacy of a beloved judge here in Brooklyn.”

Phillips died in 2008 after suffering from Alzheimer’s for a number of years. He collapsed in the Castle Senior Living Facility’s elevator. He was 83-years-old when he died. He owned a number of theaters known for being platforms for black activists in the 80s. He named the century-old Regent the Slave Theater “so that no one would ever forget our struggles.” His other theater was the Black Lady Theater. His fortune grew to around $10 million after buying property, including the theaters, in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn. He never married and had no children to take over his estate.

He was a civil court judge for 17 years and is recognized for his martial art abilities. Not only did he earn the rank of 10th-degree black belt in kung fu, he tended to incorporate martial arts gestures into his jurisprudence.

If that wasn’t enough, Racano is facing another charge of theft in Queens. He pleaded guilty in Queens to taking money from Tina Rashkover and Lisandra Vasquez. He will be sentenced on April 24 for stealing over $50,000.

Do you think measures should be established that would prevent attorneys from being able to easily access a client’s account? Tell us in the comments below.

To learn more about attorneys that have stolen from their clients, read these articles:

• West Virginia Lawyer Steals from Elderly Woman
• Real Estate Attorney Stole $5.7 Million
• East Hampton Attorney Stole from Clients and Associates

Photo: nydailynews.com

Phillips Photo: therealdeal.com