Suspended Real Estate Lawyer Ripped Off Chester Co. Homebuyers: DA

CHESTER COUNTY, PA — A suspended real estate attorney funds from Chester County clients meant to pay for taxes and insurance and kept it for himself, authorities said.

James Vassallo, 55, of Voorhees, New Jersey has been charged with theft by deception and numerous related counts.

The case began in early 2023, when Vassallo helped a family purchase a home in Downingtown, police said.

However, his involvement in the process in that capacity was not legal from the get go, as his law license had been suspended for other reasons back in Aug. 2018, according to authorities.

As part of the settlement for the home, the family wired money to Vassallo fees, taxes, the filing and recording of the deed for the home, and title insurance. However, Vassallo did not pay any of those costs, police said.

When Vassallo ignored repeated calls and pleas from the victims, they contacted the Chester County Recorder of Deeds Office and found out that he had never kept up his end of the bargain, authorities said.

Vassallo turned himself in to police on Jan. 22 and he was released on $50,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is set for Feb. 28.