Utah woman posed as lawyer, defended client, cops say

SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah - Authorities in Utah say a woman impersonated an attorney and even went as far as defending a client and signing court documents, reports CBS affiliate KUTV.

Karla Carbo, 29, was arrested Tuesday in Summit County and charged with identity theft, forgery and communications fraud.

Authorities say Carbo assumed the identity of a legitimate attorney with a similar name and used the attorney's Utah State Bar identification number, reports the station.

Officials say Carbo impersonated the lawyer on Dec. 23 when she appeared in the Third District Court of Summit County to represent a suspect in a 2008 criminal case, according to the station.

It wasn't until after the case was completed that authorities received a call from the state bar association saying that Carbo was not a real attorney. She was booked into the Summit County Jail on $25,000 cash bail.

The attorney whose name Carbo allegedly assumed is in good standing with the bar association and is not associated with the fraud, authorities say, reports the station.