Long Island lawyer admits to $4M real estate con job

James Kalpakis
James Kalpakis

A disbarred Long Island lawyer has confessed to swindling more than $4 million from several people in real estate deals – including his wife.

Jampes Kalpakis of Old Westbury pleaded guilty to grand larceny and agreed to a term of up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced in Mineola County Court, Nassau District Attorney Kathleen Rice told Newsday. The original indictment charged Kalpakis with 23 counts of grand larceny and forgery.

“This defendant spun lie after lie in order to steal millions from innocent people whose only crime was placing their trust in the wrong man,” Rice said in a statement to the newspaper. “Mr. Kalpakis proved himself nothing more than a con man.”

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The money includes $402,152 that Kalpakis stole from his wife in 2008 by forging a power of attorney in her name and using it to refinance a home that was in her name, the prosecutor added.

“He took responsibility for his actions today,” Kalpakis’ attorney James Toner told Newsday. “He’s very sorry for what happened. He’s trying to make amends.” [Newsday]Hiten Samtani