Gary Karpin
Gary J. Karpen - J.D. RIPOFF Prosecutors looking for victims of man who posed as divorce lawye

Prosecutors looking for victims of man who posed as divorce lawyer

Judi Villa
The Arizona Republic
Oct. 5 04:54 PM

Gina Niedzwiecki is out $87,000, money she paid in retainers to a man she thought was a divorce lawyer. He wasn't.

And Maricopa County prosecutors say she isn't the only one who forked over money to Gary Jay Karpin, 54, whom they say posed as a divorce lawyer, even though he wasn't licensed to practice in Arizona.

Prosecutors say they already have identified 115 victims, and they suspect there could be as many as 200 more.

Karpin, a disbarred Vermont attorney who moved to Arizona in 1993, was indicted in July on numerous counts of theft and fraudulent schemes. Wednesday, the Maricopa County Attorney's Office publicly appealed for other victims to come forward.

Prosecutors say Karpin advertised as a divorce mediator and either claimed or implied that he was a licensed attorney. Known financial losses to victims exceed $500,000.

Karpin would file victims' court papers as "pro per, " meaning the victims were actually representing themselves, officials said. Some documents were never filed; others were not properly prepared.

As a result, some victims have found out they weren't divorced at all or didn't have custody of their children like they thought they did, said Barnett Lotstein, a special assistant county attorney.

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Karpin has been operating in Maricopa County since at least 1996, calling his practice various names, including Divorce with Dignity Divorce Associates, Relationships with Dignity, G. J Karpin and Associates Divorce with Dignity and A Dignified Divorce.

Victims are asked to call the Maricopa County Attorney's Office at (602) 372-7777

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Phony attorney arrested on counts of fraud and theft

06:14 PM Mountain Standard Time on Wednesday, October 5

By Suzanne Bissett / 3TV reporter

The Maricopa County Attorney's Office says 115 people have been scammed out of money, totaling more than $500,000, by a man who is pretending to be an attorney.

Gary Karpin had been disbarred from the state of Vermont and while in Arizona, had been practicing everything from bankruptcy to divorce and custody cases in a North Scottsdale office.

Investigators say Karpin incorrectly filed court documents and sometimes never filed at all.

It's alleged that when the incorrect documents were returned to his office, he never told his clients and, in some cases, demanded more money.

Some clients who hired Karpin to settle their divorce found out later that they were still married.

Karpin was arrested in July and now faces at least 16 felony counts of fraud and theft.

Investigators expect there will more victims to come forward.

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Company: Gary Karpin
Country: USA
State: Arizona
City: Phoenix
Address: 3420 East Shea Blvd Suite 200
Phone: 6029535355

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