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Summary: An attorney in East Hampton not only stole thousands from clients, but stole the identity of an associate at his firm so he could steal even more money.
East Hampton attorney Kyle T. Lynch is in big trouble. Police arrested the 42-year-old and charged him with stealing money from clients and using a former law firm associate’s identity to steal more. Police estimate he has stolen hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Lynch was arraigned in the East Hampton Town Justice Court, pleading not guilty to the three counts of second-degree grand larceny, one count third-degree grand larceny, two counts unlawful possession of personal identifying information, and two counts first-degree identity theft.
The office of Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota reported that Lynch’s law license was suspended last year. The investigation into Lynch began when a complaint came across the East Hampton Village police department’s desk in August 2015.
The complaint was filed by a former associate at Bainton Lynch LLP. The associate stated that two credit cards had been opened in his name. The investigation determined that Lynch charged over $50,000 on one card and $20,000 on the other credit card.
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The money that Lynch stole from clients involved an undisclosed amount that was supposed to be held in escrow during a real estate transaction. The Suffolk district attorney’s economic crimes bureau found that the Lynch was handling the estate of an Orient woman, of which $500,000 was missing. The woman, Helen Chalmers, had willed the majority of her estate to relatives and North Fork organizations. Some of these organizations included the Greenport school district and Eastern Long Island Hospital. Lynch never disbursed the funds.
His bail was set at $100,000 cash or $50,000 bond.
Where do you think all the money went? Tell us what you think in the comments below.
To learn more about other attorneys that stole from clients, read these articles:
- DOE Employs Lying Ex-Lawyer Who Stole from Clients
- Pennsylvania Attorney Accused of Stealing from Clients
- Real Estate Attorney Stole $5.7 Million
Photo: lawyers.com
