Former Cleveland attorney, Paul M. Kaufman, was sentenced to four years in prison for stealing funds from clients.
He appeared before Judge Hollie Gallagher in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court.
In 2009, Kaufman, an attorney for 34 years, began stealing funds from his clients which totaled $613,452.40.
He settled cases without notifying his clients and forged their signatures on settlement checks. In 2015, his license was revoked.
In some cases, he would use the money from settlements to pay other victims. He settled client settlements without authorization.
On November 21, 2016, Kaufman plead guilty to 13 counts of identity fraud, one count of theft, and two counts of forgery.
