Harrisburg Attorney Accused of Embezzlement, Burglarizing Firm Resigns Law License
Nichole Collins, 35, is charged with burglary, theft, forgery and other crimes, based on a string of alleged break-ins at her former firm, Shaffer & Engle.
March 14, 2018 at 10:46 AM
3 minute read
Photo: Shutterstock
Harrisburg lawyer Nichole Collins, who allegedly stole thousands of dollars from the firm that previously employed her, has resigned from the bar.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court issued its disbarment on consent order Monday. Collins, 35, is charged with burglary, theft, forgery and other crimes, based on a string of alleged break-ins at her former firm, Shaffer & Engle.
She allegedly took thousands of dollars from her law firm and its lawyers' personal accounts and credit cards, some of which went to the purchase of sex toys.
The Pennsylvania Disciplinary Board filed a suspension order on Jan. 25, after the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General filed charges Tuesday. The OAG got the case on referral from the Dauphin County District Attorney's Office because Collins is married to Dauphin County Deputy District Attorney Joel Hogentogler.
According to charging documents, Collins worked at Shaffer & Engle for three years. The firm has two other lawyers, managing partner Jeff Engle and Elisabeth Pasqualini.
Engle noticed that an employee had been stealing from one of the law firm's bank accounts, charging documents said. The account was intended to cover work-related costs like filing fees, and the firm's lawyers all had authorization to write checks.
According to the criminal complaint, Collins admitted to Engle and Pasqualini that she had been taking from the cost account. The firm's accountant found more than $8,000 worth of checks she had used to withdraw cash from the account.
Collins was fired from the firm on Aug. 14, and was banned from the office.
Twice in December Shaffer & Engle called police because they found evidence that someone had broken into the office. The lawyers noticed that certain files, including a file on Collins and her previous alleged thefts, and personal possessions were missing. And computer equipment was covered in “an unknown sticky substance,” the criminal complaint said.
Pasqualini noticed that her credit cards were missing as well, and throughout December she received security alerts about hundreds of dollars of charges to her credit cards that she did not make herself. According to charging documents, the largest purchase was for $250 worth of sex toys from an online store.
Police allege that Collins also took money from Engle, Pasqualini and from the firm's IOLTA account using checks and credit cards.
Collins could not be reached for comment. Her attorney, Bryan S. Walk of Hershey, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
Collins graduated from Widener University Commonwealth Law School in 2009, and was admitted to the bar in 2010. Before joining Shaffer & Engle she worked at Scaringi & Scaringi.
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