Former Schaumburg Attorney Stole from Clients, Including Own Uncle

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Summary: Former attorney Lino J. Menconi was found guilty of two counts of theft of over $100,000 by an Illinois jury.

A former Schaumburg attorney was found guilty by a jury on two counts of theft of over $100,000 each. Lino J. Menconi, 52, now faces 15 years maximum behind bars for the conviction of stealing over $200,000 from clients, according to the Cook County state’s attorney office. Menconi failed to give his clients their settlement payments, instead keeping the money for himself.

  

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The Chicago Tribune reports that Menconi has already been disbarred several years ago. He was first suspended and then disbarred in 2014 when the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission claimed he stole over $600,000 from clients starting back in 2006. He was accused of deceiving clients through forging their signatures on settlements so he could use the money for his mortgage, secretary’s wages, children’s education, county club bills, and property taxes.

His clients and victims include his own aunt and uncle, Judy and Leno Menconi, of Oak Lawn. The couple are now deceased, so their son, Mike Menconi, spoke on their behalf. He said his parents were in bad health when Menconi took advantage of them. He believes that because they lost much of their money that his father had to go to a nursing home instead of being able to afford in home health care. Menconi converted his uncle’s annuity from a death benefit payout to regular payments, which was about $174,000 paid out in four checks. Menconi kept $122,000 of that total, giving the rest back to his uncle who was living in a nursing home.

Mike calls Menconi a “serial lying sort of predator. He’s just going to take your money and disappear. …I feel like I got justice for my parents.”

Menconi represented himself even though he is no longer a licensed attorney. Prosecutors wanted him to be taken into custody immediately after the conviction, but he was allowed to be free on bond until the sentencing hearing, which is set for March 1.

Menconi was originally charged with multiple counts of theft by deception, unauthorized control, misappropriation of financial institution property and financial fraud. According to the Daily Herald, he represented an 86-year-old in 2008 who was trying to recover funds invested in an IRA with Fifth Third Securities. Nearly a year later, the company refunded the man $112,000, but Menconi put all of the money into his business account and kept it.

Do you think Menconi needs to serve prison time? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

To learn more about attorneys that have misappropriated their client’s funds, read these articles:

• Former Philly DA Sentenced to Five Years in Prison
• Robert Graham Disbarred after Admitting to Theft of Over $16 Million in Client Funds
• Costa Mesa Attorney Robyn Pool Disbarred

Photo: takepart.com