Cash

By Michael Mashburn From Daily Voice

A Long Island attorney is accused of stealing more than $400,000 that was supposed to pay off his client’s loan during a property sale.

Michael Tulchiner, 61, of Bellmore, was arraigned on one count of felony larceny in Suffolk County Court on Friday, Aug. 8.

Tulchiner, the principal attorney at The Law Office of Michael J. Tulchiner in Melville, diverted $413,237 from a mortgage disbursement account between August and December 2022, prosecutors allege.

The money, part of a refinance loan for his client, was designated to pay off a prior loan as part of a real estate closing.

Tulchiner ordered a bank check for the payoff on Aug. 26, 2022, but redeposited the funds into his account three days later, prosecutors said. He later used the money to cover expenses for his law firm and other unauthorized purposes, according to investigators.

“The allegations against this attorney represent a gross violation of the trust that the victim placed in him as an attorney and a fiduciary,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney.

Tulchiner was released on his own recognizance. The charge is considered non-bail eligible under current state law, meaning prosecutors could not request bail and the judge could not set it.

If convicted, Tulchiner faces five to 15 years in prison.

The DA’s office urged anyone who believes they may have been victimized by Tulchiner to call 631-853-4626.