A Lake Success attorney was charged on Thursday with stealing $60,000 from a female client he represented in January 2021, according to a release from the Nassau County District Attorney’s office.
Sean O’Leary, 64, represented the woman who suffered injuries in a 2018 car accident, according to the release. He allegedly negotiated a settlement with the driver’s insurance company and had the woman sign an agreement that provided her with a $90,000 settlement check, officials said.
O’Leary, of Sean O’Leary & Associates PLLC in Lake Success, was set to keep $30,000 in settlement funds for legal fees with the remaining money going to the woman he represented, officials said. An investigation revealed the woman received none of the settlement funds, despite multiple requests from her, officials said.
O’Leary allegedly withdrew the settlement funds from his account through checks written out to himself, domestic wires and other withdrawals, according to the release. A Huntington resident, O’Leary was arraigned and disbarred on Thursday, officials said.
“This defendant allegedly exploited his client at a vulnerable time, stealing tens of thousands of dollars that she received to settle a personal injury claim after a car accident,” Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said in a statement. “Navigating the difficult process of making an injury-related claim is eased for many by hiring a personal injury attorney. Clients should never have to worry that the attorney they hire may violate their trust and deceive them.”
O’Leary pleaded not guilty to the one count of second-degree grand larceny and was released on his own recognizance, officials said. If convicted, O’Leary faces up to five to 15 years in prison.
He is scheduled to return to court on April 26, according to officials.
He is being represented by the Legal Aid Society, though immediate efforts to reach the organization for comment on the matter were unavailing. Officials from the Nassau County District Attorney’s office said those who feel they were victims of O’Leary can contact the office’s criminal complaint bureau at 516-571-3505.
