Photo: Roman Seliutin/Shutterstock.comFlorida Attorney Charged in Manhattan With Filing Hundreds of Sham ADA Lawsuits
The six-count indictment, unsealed late Tuesday, accused Stuart Finkelstein of filing more than 300 lawsuits in Manhattan and South Florida on behalf of two clients, without their permission.
November 19, 2019 at 06:52 PM
2 minute read
Manhattan federal prosecutors Tuesday charged a Florida attorney with mail fraud and aggravated identity theft for allegedly filing hundreds of sham lawsuits under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The six-count indictment, unsealed late Tuesday, accused Stuart Finkelstein of filing more than 300 lawsuits in Manhattan and South Florida on behalf of two clients, without their permission. Finkelstein, 65, was also accused of making false statements and obstructing justice in New York.
In total, the indictment said, Finkelstein had used used the phony suits to collect $930,000 in attorney fees.
"Stuart Finkelstein, a practicing attorney, appeared to be advocating on his clients' behalf by allegedly filing lawsuits claiming they were unable to access public establishments due to ADA noncompliance," Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman said in a statement.
"Finkelstein's galling scheme, which was as profitable as it was brazen, allegedly netting him $930,000 in attorney's fees, has come to an end," he said.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York said Finkelstein had been presented Tuesday in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, federal court. A call to Finkelstein's law office late Tuesday was not immediately returned.
No representation was immediately announced for Finkelstein.
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