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Paralegals & Legal Secretaries

: ParalegalGateway Blawg

London Paralegal Fleeced His Clients

By ParalegalGateway.com

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Ed Finlan carried on ripping off people even when he was criminally charged.

Yesterday, before the disgraced legal consultant was sent to prison for fraud and theft, he apologized to his victims.

"I am sorry to the individuals involved. If the funds were available, they would be paid back," he said.

The judge who heard Finlan plead guilty to 11 counts of fraud and theft questioned the sincerity of the former London courts manager.

"You carried on. It didn't slow you down. The pace seemed to pick up," said Superior Court Justice John McGarry. "It's beyond me. You seem to have no understanding of the damage and results of your activity."

McGarry accepted Finlan's pleas and a recommendation from the Crown and defence for a six-month sentence.

This was Finlan's third round of charges. His first sentence was house arrest in 2002.

Finlan lost his appeal of a two-year less a day sentence earlier this month for similar convictions in 2007. That sentence also included a three-year probation period.

But because Finlan's sentence is now more than two years, he will be sent to a federal institution and probation cannot follow.

McGarry said the probation had been put in place because of "a real concern of recidivism."

McGarry said Finlan, who held himself out as a paralegal, "had every opportunity to lead an honest life."

Finlan pleaded guilty to 10 fraud charges and one of theft. The victims were clients Finlan fleeced and businesses that couldn't cash his bad cheques.

Assistant Crown attorney Jennifer Chalykoff said the crimes were "heinous and very upsetting" for the people who suffered financial losses and emotional turmoil.

Had the cases gone to trial, Chalykoff said the sentence would have been more severe.

In one case, a woman in a crash hired Finlan to help her. She received a cheque for nearly $14,000 from the insurance company.

Finlan said the payment should have been more and had her make out a bank draft in the amount paid to him. She hasn't seen any of the money since, court heard.

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Full post as published by ParalegalGateway Blawg on March 16, 2009 (boomark / email).