9th Judicial District Attorney Accused of Stealing From Client, Filing False Documents

New City attorney accused of stealing from client
The Journal News by Steve Lieberman  -  December 28, 2011

NEW CITY, NY — An attorney for three Ramapo villages already suspended from practicing law on professional misconduct charges has been accused separately of stealing $70,000 from two clients in a medical malpractice case, the Rockland district attorney announced today.  Joel A. Grossbarth denied the four felony charges through his lawyer. Grossbarth has been released on $25,000 bail by Clarkstown Justice Rolf Thorsen, pending a hearing on March 5 or potential grand jury action.  The charges resulted from his private practice, not his employment with the villages of Airmont, New Hempstead and Sloatsburg. Grossbarth took a leave of absence from representing the municipalities after his suspension in November involving a different set of allegations by the state organization that oversees the conduct of attorneys.  The criminal charges brought by the District Attorney’s Office are second-degree grand larceny, second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, and two counts of first-degree offering a false instrument. The top charges carry a maximum of 15 years in state prison.  District Attorney Thomas Zugibe said in a news release that between July 16, 2010, and July 27, 2010, Grossbarth stole $70,000 from a couple in a malpractice case.  The couple received a check in the mail for $70,000 and told Grossbarth that they did not wish to settle for less than $350,000, Zugibe said. Grossbarth is accused of telling the couple he would return the check to the opposing party, but instead deposited the money into his own account.  Grossbarth also is accused of falsely filing a hold harmless agreement and general release with the Rockland County Clerk, settling the case without knowledge or authority of the victims.  Zugibe said his investigators have received complaints from other clients of Grossbarth, whose arrest resulted from an investigation by the Rockland County Special Investigations Unit.  Grossbarth’s lawyer, John Edwards, said the New City attorney would plead not guilty to the four charges.  Grossbarth, 50, of 29 Linden Court, was suspended last month from practicing law by a state Supreme Court justice pending a hearing into professional misconduct charge brought by the Grievance Committee for the Ninth Judicial District. The committee acted on a complaint filed by Rudolph Gregus and his wife, who had hired Grossbarth in 2005.  People who believe they have been similarly victimized can the Rockland District Attorney’s Office at 845-638-5001.