Published on: Wednesday, February 7, 2024
Federal prosecutors in New York on Wednesday announced the arrest of the first five people to face criminal charges arising out of an ongoing investigation into the widespread theft of $1 million worth of checks since 2021 intended for court-appointed lawyers (press release available here).
The six people were charged in a pair of indictments unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn that accused them of depositing stolen checks meant to reimburse private attorneys appointed by the court to represent indigent defendants.
The charges in the indictments are merely allegations, and the people charged are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.