BRIDGEPORT - A local lawyer who police said fled to New Jersey after stealing nearly $10,000 from a client here pleaded guilty to the theft on Wednesday.
Alfred Cali, 61, pleaded guilty under the Alford Doctrine to second-degree larceny.
He faces up to two years in prison when he is sentenced by Superior Court Judge Frank Iannotti on July 10.
Cali and his lawyer, Thomas Cocco, declined comment as they left the Golden Hill Street courthouse.
A plea made under the Alford Doctrine means Cali doesn’t admit his guilt but concedes he could be found guilty and face a greater sentence if he went to trial. The judge then found him guilty.
Cali was arrested by inspectors from the Statewide Prosecution Bureau in the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney following a complaint by the Statewide Grievance Committee.
In 2016, Cali had been hired by a local man to handle his bankruptcy proceedings, according to court documents.
The local man paid Cali a $20,000 retainer and later Cali instructed him to write a check for cash for $9,614 which was to be used to pay off the man’s debt, the documents state. However, the documents state that Cali did not deposit the money into his trustee account as required and instead used the money for his own purposes.
Investigators later learned that Cali had left the area and was living in North Arlington, N.J.
from News https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Lawyer-pleads-guilty-to-embezzlement-13904342.php
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