TIMESLEDGER | QNS.COM | APRIL 22-28, 2022 4
BY BILL PARRY
A disbarred Bayside attorney
could spend nearly a half-decade
behind bars for swindling dozens
of clients out of nearly $2 million
in lawsuit settlement money.
Yohan Choi, 47, of 23rd Avenue
in Bayside, operated a law office
on Northern Boulevard in Flushing,
pleaded guilty in January
for grand larceny before Queens
Supreme Court Justice Eugene
Guarino for bilking more than
50 clients, whom he represented
before and after he was barred
from practicing law, according
to Queens District Attorney Melinda
Katz.
On Wednesday, April 6,
Queens Supreme Court Justice
Jerry Iannece sentenced Choi
to 1.5 to 4.5 years in prison. Additionally,
Choi signed 28 confessions
of judgment which requires
him to repay in excess of $1.8 million
in restitution.
According to the charges, Choi
held bank accounts for his law
practice at several financial institutions,
including Chase, Capital
One and HSBC. A forensic examination
of these accounts showed
dozens of deposits for lawsuit
settlements on behalf of Choi’s
clients.
According to court records, in
November 2016, a woman the defendant
represented in a personal
injury lawsuit agreed to settle a
case for $52,500. The victim was
entitled to just over $35,000, however,
she never received any money
from the settlement.
Another client of Choi’s settled
her lawsuit in May 2018 for
$75,000. After the lawyer’s fee and
other expenses were deducted the
victim should have received just
over $50,000. Choi never turned
over that money, despite the insurance
company depositing a
check totaling $75,000 into his account.
Katz said a man who also hired
Choi to represent him in a personal
injury case agreed to settle
for $45,000 and was entitled to receive
$30,150. The investigation
showed that Choi’s bank account
received a check from the insurance
company for $45,000 on May
12, 2020. Three days later, that
same escrow account totaled just
$423. The victim never received
the money he was due, Katz said.
According to the charges,
Choi repeated this scheme at least
50 times over the course of five
years. Clients due varying sums
of money — from as little as $1,000
to more than $50,000 — were left
empty-handed. In each instance,
Choi’s business accounts show
the checks were deposited — totaling
more than $1.8 million —
but his victims were never issued
a check they were due.
Choi’s license to practice law
was suspended in November 2017.
“This defendant took an oath
to uphold the law. Unfortunately,
he let his own interest guide him
instead of his fiduciary duty to
represent his clients,” Katz said.
Photo via Shutterstock
“This disbarred lawyer pocketed
more than $1.8 million that
should have been distributed to
the victims, who had already suffered
and were due a settlement
for a personal injury claim.”
Reach reporter Bill Parry by
e-mail at bparry@schnepsmedia.
com or by phone at (718) 260–4538.
Disbarred Bayside lawyer sentenced to
prison for swindling dozens of clients
out of more than $1.8 million: DA
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