Disbarred Ex-Long Island Attorney Stole $30K From Home Sale: DA

LAKE GROVE, NY — A former Great Neck attorney living in Florida pleaded guilty Monday to stealing $30,000 from a client’s escrow account tied to a Lake Grove real estate transaction, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said.

Marco Materassi, 59, pleaded guilty to third-degree grand larceny, a Class D felony, before Supreme Court Justice John Collins, prosecutors said.

Materassi had been hired to represent the seller in a real estate transaction for a property in Lake Grove, according to court documents and his admissions during his plea. On Jan. 26, 2024, he received a $30,000 down payment to hold in escrow until the closing date, prosecutors said.

The transaction was later canceled, and the money was supposed to be returned to the buyer, prosecutors said. Instead, Materassi avoided calls from the buyer’s attorney, the buyer and the seller, the DA said.

Within four days of receiving the down payment, Materassi spent the money on unauthorized business and personal expenses, prosecutors said.

As part of his plea, Materassi must pay $30,000 in restitution, or he faces up to 1 to 3 years in prison, prosecutors said.

Materassi has been disbarred by the State of New York and can no longer practice law, prosecutors said. He is represented by Christopher Gioe, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“An attorney who steals from his clients violates the public trust and his own fiduciary duty to his client,” Tierney said. “Today’s guilty plea represents our commitment to holding attorneys accountable for serious violations of professional duty.”