Disbarred Sarasota attorney accused of stealing at least $215,000 from clients
SARASOTA (FOX 13) - A now disbarred Sarasota attorney was arrested for misappropriating at least $215,352.39 from his clients.
Sarasota police announced Thursday they arrested 63-year-old Jordan Wallach on a grand theft charge. They said he committed the crime while he practiced as a divorce and family attorney between December 2014 and August 2017.
In September 2017, one of his victims, police said, tried to cash a life insurance check from his law firm, but it bounced because of insufficient funds. In the following month, an emergency petition was issued for the suspect to replace the funds. When they weren’t, police said Wallach’s accounts were frozen.
Sarasota police detectives said they spoke to victims in November 2017 who said they hired Wallach to handle family fiscal matters. According to them, they attempted to gather funds entrusted to Wallach, but their money was never returned, police said.
Police said they later learned Wallach was writing checks not listed on the accounting records, and was transferring money to his own accounts.
In February 2018, detectives attempted to speak with Wallach, but he declined to speak. Detectives said they forwarded their collected evidence to the State Attorney’s Office, and Wallach was arrested on Thursday at his home.
He was voluntarily disbarred by the Florida Bar in January 2018, according to a media release.
Police want to know if there are other victims. Anyone who believes they could have been a victim is asked to call Sarasota police detective Ross Revill at (941) 954-7092 or submit an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers by calling (941) 366-8477 or online at www.sarasotacrimestoppers.com.