NY Attorney Going To Prison For Ripping Off Aunt & Leaving Her Homeless

In Westchester County, New York, The Journal News reports:

• "Annette Rivera made plans to buy their dream house in Riverdale even as she was grieving over the death of her husband, Latin jazz great Ray Barretto. But on the closing date last October, most of the $860,000 she needed was missing. She had put it in escrow with her lawyer and niece, Shelley Ann Rivera. But the woman she once loved as a sister had kept the escrow money for herself and absconded to Las Vegas. Annette Rivera, her son and several of their friends were in Westchester County Court [July 11] as the suspended lawyer was sentenced to one to three years in state prison and ordered to repay $700,000 she still owes her aunt."

The victimized aunt stated in court that she (1) developed ulcers and other medical problems from the stress, (2) has been unable to pay for her son's college education, (3) was living with her son in her niece's home but had to leave when it was foreclosed upon, and (4) along with her son, are now homeless, relying on friends for loans to cover legal bills and places to stay.

For more, see Lawyer with penchant for gambling sentenced in theft from aunt.

For a prior story, see Attorney pleads guilty to defrauding her aunt of cash (Mid Hudson News).

Go here for stories on other alleged escrow agent mishandling of funds. sneaky slick escrow agents alpha