Serial Illinois Fraudster Disbarred And Sentenced To Prison

Dating a lawyer can be rough. Long hours, unnecessary Latin injected into conversations, complaints about the rule of law being in crisis when you really just want to re-watch Chelsea Handler’s “The Feeling” — the list goes on. But one thing that isn’t mentioned enough is that sometimes, they’re just outright frauds. And as bad as it is for a lawyer to fraud their clients, Leonard Samuel DeFranco also committed the big no-no of bringing his (fraudulent) work home. After ripping off his clients, he “borrowed” his girlfriend’s personal information to take out in thousands in bank loans. After he got caught, his endeavors earned him an extended prison stay. ABA Journal has coverage on his shenanigans:

A disbarred Illinois lawyer has been sentenced to six years in prison for using his then-girlfriend’s identifying information to obtain four bank loans totaling $82,700.
…
The review board affirmed findings that DeFranco misappropriated $161,608 in client funds from the sale of a business…DeFranco then obtained a $180,000 loan from a client to repay the client money without complying with required safeguards, the review board said.

A lawyer in Illinois committing fraud? Come on, man, Chicago is right there! There has to be some decent legal work when you’re within driving distance from one of the largest legal hubs in the country. Fraud might make for short-term gains, but the returns over time go to the dumps quick if and when you get caught. Either way, the legal door was shut on DeFranco. Referring to the decision to disbar him, they said that “the record contains almost no evidence demonstrating that [DeFranco] is likely to practice law in an ethical manner in the future.”

Disbarred lawyer Sentenced For Using Then-Girlfriend’s Identity To Take Out Over $82K In Loans [ABA Journal]

Chris Williams became a social media manager and assistant editor for Above the Law in June 2021. Prior to joining the staff, he moonlighted as a minor Memelord™ in the Facebook group Law School Memes for Edgy T14s.  He endured Missouri long enough to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is a former boatbuilder who is learning to swim, a published author on critical race theory, philosophy, and humor, and has a love for cycling that occasionally annoys his peers. You can reach him by email at cwilliams@abovethelaw.com and by tweet at @WritesForRent.

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