Paralegals & Legal Secretaries

LOS ANGELES -- A Colorado-based paralegal was charged Monday with conspiracy and other counts for the unauthorized practice of law in a bankruptcy court, prosecutors said.

Emmanuel Assaf, 42, is accused of violating laws that prohibit paralegals from advertising and providing most legal services without a licensed attorney's supervision and from charging more than $200, prosecutors said.

Assaf allegedly billed an 85-year-old man $1,200 for bankruptcy services.

He said staff members at several of his offices in Southern California provided police investigators with documents on Friday, but detectives refused to tell him why he was being investigated.

Police began investigating Assaf in May 2007 after a judge reported he failed to let his alleged victim, Maximiliano Jimenez, of Los Angeles, know he had to complete a course in financial management as part of his bankruptcy filing, Delgadillo spokesman Frank Mataljan said.

Assaf did not accompany Jimenez to court or instruct him to complete the financial management course, prosecutors said. Because Jimenez did not complete the course, his debts remained on the books until the situation was explained to the court, authorities said.

Jimenez did not know Assaf was in Colorado when the paralegal called him and said he would handle the bankruptcy filing, prosecutors said.

Assaf faces one count of conspiracy, one count of financial elder abuse, one count of grand theft, two counts of unauthorized practice of law, one count of false advertising and one count of misleading advertising as a paralegal, City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo said in a news release.

If convicted, Assaf could face up to 4 1/2 years in jail and more than $15,500 in fines. (Source)