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A Riverhead-based attorney was arrested and charged with two counts of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree in connection with the alleged theft of $25,000 from two parties to a real estate transaction, Suffolk District Attorney Ray Tierney announced Wednesday.
Peter A. Saad Jr., of Calverton, was arraigned in Suffolk County District Court on the pair of felony charges yesterday, entered a plea of not guilty to both charges and was released on his own recognizance, according to online court records.
Saad’s license to practice law was suspended on June 3, 2022 by the Appellate Division, Second Department on the motion of the Grievance Committee for the 10th Judicial District of New York, upon a finding by the court that Saad was “guilty of professional misconduct immediately threatening the public interest.”
His last registered business address was 747 East Main Street in Riverhead, according to attorney registration records published by the New York State Office of Court Administration.
Saad surrendered to the district attorney’s office yesterday and was arraigned before Judge Rosann Orlando. He is due back in court on Jan. 2, according to court records.
The charges stem from a real estate transaction in 2020 in which Saad represented the seller. Per the agreement of the parties, Saad retained the sum of $25,000 in his escrow account after the September 2020 closing, to secure resolution of outstanding permit issues, Tierney said in a press release.
The attorney stopped responding to the parties and also failed to cooperate with the grievance committee’s investigation, and failed to comply with judicial subpoenas, according to the June 2022 suspension order.
“The allegations against this defendant represent a betrayal of trust and of the fiduciary duty he owed to his client,” Tierney said. “My office remains committed to prosecuting all manner of thefts, including those committed by lawyers.”
Saad was admitted to the bar in New York on Jan. 22, 2003.
Tierney asked anyone who believes they were victimized by Saad to call the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office at (631) 853-4626.
Editor’s note: A criminal charge is an accusation. A person charged with a crime is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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This article was originally published by a riverheadlocal.com . Read the Original article here. .