On December 3, 2013, disbarred lawyer James Kalpakis is scheduled to be sentenced at the Nassau County Courthouse on Long Island (New York) to grand larceny in the first degree and second degree.
Kalpakis has been found guilty of stealing more than $4 million from his clients, ex-wife, friends and even his ex-girlfriend! He could get a 10 year sentence for his crimes in Nassau County alone, and then there are charges looming in Suffolk County and New York City.
In an online article for CNBC (October 11, 201), writers Valerie Patriarca and Andrea Day detail the downfall of a man who disregarded every shred of ethical behavior in favor of greed and life-style.
Mr. Kalpakis specialized in real estate fraud and I suppose he conducted his fraudulent business so effectively because he appears to be without conscience.
Patriarca and Day related that:
“Kalpakis voluntarily resigned from the bar in 2005 after being hit with six charges of professional misconduct, including improperly paying himself from a client’s escrow account and failing to keep proper records on the accounts. Kalpakis maintained his fraud, however… He kept putting himself out there as a lawyer. He kept engaging in victims, taking their money and doing it just because he could and because he wanted to pay for his lifestyle.”
Despite his resignation from the legal profession, “Kalpakis kept presenting himself (between 2008 and 2011) as an attorney in real estate deals, forging mortgage documents to obtain loans and stealing money from client escrow accounts—just as he had been caught doing in 2005.”
Blatant Ethical Lapses
To offer a specific example of the way in which Kalpakis operated, we can cite the example of how he bilked his (then) wife:
“Bette Kalpakis, now his ex-wife, was also a victim. According to the charges, Kalpakis conned her out of $402,152 by forging power of attorney on a mortgage loan with JPMorgan Chase for their Old Westbury residence, whose deed was in her name. He got the loan without her knowledge, then pocketed the money.”
In similar fashion, he conned a close friend out of a large sum of money and essentially raided the escrow accounts of several clients. As he awaits sentencing, he issued a public apology part of which I will quote here:
“I want to show that I’m truly sorry and regret everything that I’ve done in my life. I don’t want to hide from what I’ve done; I don’t want to run from what I’ve done. I want to take responsibility… And if I have to work the rest of my life to make things right, I will do that.”
Do you believe him? Neither do I; not now, in any case.
I am a person who believes in giving others second chances, just as I was given a second chance at life. But what of someone who has had several “second” chances? We already know he was caught in 2005, and he went right back to his ways. We know he acted without regard to whom he was conning; clients, a wife, friends and then a girlfriend were all equally cheated. While I am going to bet his lawyers probably considered his competency, the fact that the trial proceeded seems proof that Kalpakis knew what he was doing every step of the way.
So what should be done?
Unless this former lawyer has amassed a huge fortune, it seems unlikely he will ever repay his debts (“if I have to work the rest of my life, blah, blah, blah”). It is dandy and good that he says all of the right things, but who cares?
I want to be shown.
How will he show us? Should he serve thousands of hours of community service? What good will come of his cleaning Nassau County gutters or of weeding Nassau County parks?
Far better from my point of view, that during his incarceration he is trotted in shackles to every incoming law school class in his area and he details what he did and who he hurt.
His shame should be his reward. He needs to own his shame and carry the shame with him. It is the price of having no regard for others.
We have become a society where consequences are all too easily put behind us. He should not have it so easy. If he truly doesn’t want to run from what he’s done, he should start to face the consequences. It should start with an apology to his former profession and the apology should be renewed again and again until hopefully, he understands what he did.
YOUR COMMENTS ARE WELCOME!
I agree…march him around to all the students “in shackles” make him pay with humiliation. He took money, homes, hopes, and time and left all these people hanging…..Humiliation isn’t enough. He took advantage of His WIFE, his friends,and HIS GIRLFRIEND?…among others….yeah, nice guy. NOT… Do I believe him, and he can pay that back, make restitution …..NO…..that is why we make prisons, some people belong there.
I have followed the civil foreclosure action as well as some of the civil cases involving one of the main victims and apparenty his now ex-wife saw the power of attorney that he forged in 2008 after they returned from their loving vacation together in Greece. While her deposition states that she was upset about it, she did nothing about it and allowed the mortgage to remian in place. So her claim of being “duped” is BS. More interesting is that she is a defendant in 3 mortgage and family lawsuits where she and him took family properties from his father and refinanced them. According to the cases, she attended 5 closings and signed Affidavits, loan applications, etc, all to her ill gotten gains as they kept up their lifestyle. I am not sayin he is not at fault and should walk, but at the same time many of these allegations are not what they say they are as per the DA who needs this “big fish in a little pond” for her political gain. The allegations need to be scrutinized and justice dealt accordingly. I agree, he should talk to every incoming law student and be shamed. At the same time, I do not believe a lengthy prison term is the answer. I don’t know him well, but I’m sure he can find a way, legally, to make restitution.
James kalpakis bought my house at closing they asked him if he gave me 100000 he said he’s I didn’t no what to do also representing me was his lawyer from his office and another man was there I got a check for 70000 total and he made me go to the bank and give him 40000 is there anything I can do my address was 209 north grove street in valley stream NY 11580 my name is Roberta damore can someone help me 516 8418890 he ruined my life