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MlnLCLA, n.?. - nassau CounLy ulsLrlcL ALLorney kaLhleen 8lce announced
LhaL a dlsbarred aLLorney has been senLenced Loday for sLeallng more Lhan
$4 mllllon from several lndlvlduals and banks ln a serles of fraudulenL real
esLaLe deals LhaL faLLened hls walleL aL Lhe expense of hls cllenLs - lncludlng
hls own wlfe.

!ames kalpakls, 33, pleaded gullLy ln SepLember 2013 Lo Crand Larceny ln
Lhe llrsL uegree (a 8 felony) and Crand Larceny ln Lhe Second uegree (a C
felony). nassau CounLy CourL !udge hlllp Crella senLenced kalpakls Loday
Lo 3-1/3 Lo 10 years ln prlson, wlLh resLlLuLlon of $4,362,279.83.

CllenLs should be confldenL LhaL Lhelr aLLorneys are represenLlng Lhelr besL
lnLeresLs, and noL beLraylng Lhelr LrusL for Lhelr own flnanclal galn," uA 8lce
sald. My offlce wlll conLlnue Lo prosecuLe aLLorneys who beLray Lhelr
cllenLs' LrusL whlle reaplng mllllons of dollars by flouLlng Lhe laws Lhey
swore Lo follow."

uA 8lce sald LhaL kalpakls, an aLLorney who was suspended from Lhe
pracLlce of law ln 2003 and dlsbarred upon hls reslgnaLlon ln SepLember
2009, sLole over $4 mllllon from flve cllenLs he represenLed ln real esLaLe
deals beLween SepLember 2008 and !anuary 2011.

ln SepLember 2008, kalpakls lllegally obLalned a 30-year, $1.1 mllllon
morLgage loan from a bank Lo reflnance a morLgage on a home owned by
hls wlfe by submlLLlng a forged power of aLLorney ln her name, glvlng hlm
auLhorlLy Lo slgn Lhe morLgage ln her absence. Pe recelved a check made
payable Lo hlm ln Lhe amounL of $402,132 aL closlng. 1he balance of Lhe
loan was used Lo pay off Lhe exlsLlng morLgage, buL kalpakls sLopped
maklng paymenLs on Lhe loan ln uecember 2009. Pls wlfe knew noLhlng
abouL Lhe loan.

CLher fraudulenL deallngs by kalpakls lnclude:

1he LhefL of approxlmaLely $1.3 mllllon from a vlcLlm Lo whom
kalpakls sold Lwo homes wlLh forged deeds from banks LhaL were
noL acLually Lhe owners of Lhe properLles beLween CcLober 2009
and uecember 2009. kalpakls sLole an addlLlonal $290,000 from
Lhe vlcLlm beLween lebruary 2009 and Aprll 2009 by never
reLurnlng Lhe vlcLlm's escrow deposlL on a home purchase LhaL fell
Lhrough.
1he LhefL of $300,000 from Lhe same vlcLlm beLween !une 2009
and !uly 2009 by falsely represenLlng LhaL lL would be lnvesLed ln
oll, gas, and mlneral leases ln 1exas lnvolvlng kalpakls's broLher.
1he LhefL of a $730,000 one-year morLgage loan ln !une 2010
from a prlvaLe lnvesLmenL flrm by represenLlng hlmself as Lhe
aLLorney for Lhe owners of a resldenLlal properLy, one of whom
was Lhe vlcLlm of Lhe above llsLed crlmes. kalpakls provlded Lhe
lender wlLh a forged power of aLLorney glvlng kalpakls auLhorlLy Lo
collecL Lhe loan.
1he LhefL of $130,000 beLween AugusL 2010 and SepLember
2010 from a dlfferenL vlcLlm by selllng" hlm a properLy owned by
Lhe same vlcLlm ln Lhe above llsLed crlmes. kalpakls provlded Lhe
buyer wlLh forged documenLs LhaL gave kalpakls auLhorlzaLlon Lo
sell Lhe properLy.
1he LhefL of $100,000 ln escrow deposlLs from a dlfferenL vlcLlm
Lo purchase a home beLween CcLober 2008 and Aprll 2009. 1he
sale fell Lhrough buL kalpakls never reLurned Lhe escrow funds.
1he LhefL of a $43,000 escrow deposlL from a vlcLlm beLween
!anuary 2010 and uecember 2010 for Lhe purchase of a home. 1he
sale never wenL Lhrough buL kalpakls kepL Lhe money.
1he LhefL of $80,000 from a vlcLlm uslng Lhree separaLe scams.
8eLween AugusL 2010 and !anuary 2011, he sLole $33,000 from Lhe
vlcLlm from a home purchase LhaL fell Lhrough. ln CcLober 2010, he
sLole $33,000 from her by promlslng LhaL a cllenL he represenLed ln
a clvll case would slgn over Lhe $42,000 seLLlemenL LhaL would be
recelved laLer, neLLlng Lhe vlcLlm a $7,000 proflL. ln facL, Lhere was
no lawsulL, no cllenL, and no pendlng seLLlemenL. kalpakls pulled
Lhls scam on Lhe vlcLlm agaln ln november 2010, sLeallng $12,000
and promlslng a $3,000 proflL Lhls Llme. Agaln, no lawsulL exlsLed
and kalpakls kepL her money.

AsslsLanL ulsLrlcL ALLorney eLer !. Mancuso of uA 8lce's CovernmenL &
Consumer lrauds 8ureau ls prosecuLlng Lhe case. kalpakls ls represenLed by
!ames 1oner, Lsq.

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