1SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY – A Long Island attorney was arrested Friday on charges that he stole more than $413,000 meant to pay off a client’s loan during a real estate closing.

Prosecutors allege that Michael Tulchiner, 61, of Bellmore, misappropriated the funds while serving as the principal attorney at The Law Office of Michael J. Tulchiner in Melville. The money, provided through a refinance loan for his client, was designated to settle a prior mortgage as part of a property sale in August 2022.

According to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, Tulchiner ordered a $413,237 bank check to the mortgage company on August 26, 2022, but redeposited it into his account three days later. Investigators say he later spent the funds on expenses related to his law practice and other purpose

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