Former San Francisco Attorney Facing Multiple Felony Fraud Charges
SAN FRANCISCO (BCN/CBS SF) -- A former San Francisco attorney is facing multiple felony charges for allegedly illegally practicing law and defrauding the court, clients and two insurance companies, announced the San Francisco District Attorney's Office on Monday.
"Our legal system depends on lawyers to be truthful and act with integrity," said District Attorney Boudin in a statement. "Breaching that trust hurts not only the individuals who have been defrauded, but damages the confidence the public places in the legal system. Those who practice law are not above it."
According to court filings, former lawyer Russell Robinson hasn't been permitted to practice law since June 2019.
Witnesses and records allege he continued to practice law despite his involuntary inactive status.
Robinson also allegedly filed a lawsuit for a client with multiple fraudulent documents with fake signatures of legal personnel in a California Superior Court, according to the District Attorney's Office.
The District Attorney's Office also allege that Robinson posed as his client and a licensed attorney to two insurance companies, and received $265,000 in settlement funds after he allegedly submitted documents with his client's forged signature. The prosecutors also say he allegedly embezzled most of these funds.
Other records reveal that Robinson also allegedly faked a legal assistant's signature in documents sent to the Review Department of the State Bar Court, which suggested he be disbarred. The California Supreme Court later accepted this recommendation in June 2021.
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