LI Lawyer Stole $60K From Woman He Represented: Nassau DA

NASSAU COUNTY, NY — A Lake Success attorney was arraigned Wednesday after he was accused of stealing $60,000 from a woman he represented in a personal injury claim in January 2021, Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said.

Sean O’Leary, 64, of Huntington, was arraigned on one count of second-degree grand larceny (a C felony). He pleaded not guilty and was released on his own recognizance. He is due back in court on April 26. If convicted, O'Leary faces up to five to 15 years in prison.

"This defendant allegedly exploited his client at a vulnerable time, stealing tens of thousands of dollars that she received to settle a personal injury claim after a car accident," Donnelly said in a news release. "Navigating the difficult process of making an injury-related claim is eased for many by hiring a personal injury attorney. Clients should never have to worry that the attorney they hire may violate their trust and deceive them."

The woman, injured in a car crash in May 2018, hired O'Leary to act as her attorney in a personal injury claim, prosecutors said. His company is titled Sean O’Leary & Associates, PLLC, and was based in Lake Success, the DA said.

O'Leary negotiated a settlement with the other driver’s insurance company, and in January 2021, O'Leary had the woman sign a release allowing a $90,000 settlement check to be issued to himself, authorities said. O'Leary was to keep $30,000, representing one-third of the settlement as a legal fee, and forward the remaining funds to the woman, officials said.

None of the funds were sent to the woman, investigators said, despite her requesting the money multiple times. O'Leary instead withdrew the funds from his account through domestic wires, checks written out to himself, and other withdrawals, the DA said.

O'Leary was disbarred by the Second Department on April 20, 2022, Donnelly said. He is represented by the Legal Aid Society.

"If you believe you have been the victim of Sean O’Leary, contact the District Attorney’s Criminal Complaint Bureau at 516-571-3505," the DA's Office wrote.