Disbarred attorney from Bellmore arrested for alleged theft of $372,500 in escrow funds

Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas announced that an attorney who was disbarred from practicing law in New York was arrested and charged for allegedly engaging in the unauthorized practice of law and stealing $372,500 in escrow funds from a client he represented in the sale of a $7.4 million apartment building in Manhattan.

Gregg A. Luckman, 53, of Bellmore, was arraigned today before Judge Lisa Petrocelli and charged with grand larceny in the second degree and practice of law by an attorney who has been disbarred, suspended, or convicted of a felony. If convicted of the top charge, the maximum sentence is five to 15 years in prison. The defendant is due back in court on May 14.

“This former attorney is charged with practicing law after he was disbarred and stealing $372,500 in client funds from an escrow account,” Singas said. “My office will continue to hold attorneys accountable for betraying the trust of their clients and their oath to uphold the law.”

Singas said that on July 25, 2018, Luckman was disbarred by the Appellate Division, Second Department, after submitting a sworn affidavit to the Grievance Committee in January 2018 in support of his application to resign as an attorney. Luckman’s affidavit acknowledged that he was the subject of an investigation being conducted by the Committee involving allegations of professional misconduct, including the misappropriation of client funds and failure to safeguard funds held in escrow. 

As part of the affidavit, Luckman acknowledged and agreed that pending the issuance of an order from the Committee accepting his resignation, he would not undertake to represent any new clients or accept any retainers for future legal services to be rendered.  He further acknowledged and agreed that there would be no transactional activity in any fiduciary account to which he had access, other than for payment of funds held therein on behalf of clients or others entitled to receive them. 

Despite Luckman’s affidavit, he was hired as an attorney and began representing a client in the sale of a $7.4 million apartment building in Manhattan, executed on June 20, 2018. After Luckman’s disbarment, he allegedly continued to represent the client at the closing of the sale of the property that occurred on October 3, 2018.

As part of the sale, the purchaser provided Luckman with a down payment of $555,000 to be held in Luckman’s escrow account located in Nassau County. Instead of releasing these funds to his client, Luckman allegedly made a partial payment to his client of $175,000 from other accounts and withdrew the escrow funds for himself. Luckman allegedly used the funds to operate his business, issue checks to himself and multiple entities, and conducted debit transfers to his other bank accounts in excess of $290,000 from June 20, 2018 to April 9, 2019.

If you believe you were the victim of Gregg A. Luckman,  contact the Nassau County DA’s Office, Financial Crimes Bureau at 516-571-2149.

Since 2012, the NCDA has prosecuted more than 25 attorneys for misconduct.

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Investigative Counsel Jennifer Contreras of the Financial Crimes Bureau. Luckman is represented by Peter Brill, Esq.

The charges are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless found guilty.

Courtesy Office of the District Attorney of Nassau County; compiled by Andrew Garcia.