Disbarred Lawyer Gets 2 Years in Wire Fraud Scheme
A disbarred attorney from Wading River, NY, was sentenced Tuesday to 24 months in federal prison for a wire fraud scheme that duped investors out of $2 million in supposed real estate investments, reports Newsday.
A U.S. district judge handed down the prison sentence to Alice Belmonte, 53, along with an order to pay $2 million in restitution to her victims. The former lawyer previously had served 30 months in state prison for operating a separate $4 million Ponzi scheme, officials said.
“Alice Belmonte, falsely holding herself out as an experienced practicing attorney, prevailed upon investors to trust her with their money and stole it from them,” Eastern District U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue said in a statement.
