A 57-year-old man is being charged with practicing law without a law license out of a Middletown Township attorney’s office he operated for more than seven years and taking thousands of dollars in legal fees from unsuspecting clients.
Michael Jerome McAndrew, of Morrisville, was charged on Nov. 23 with two counts each of theft by deception and deceptive business practices, and one count each of theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, theft by failure to make required disposition of funds received, identity theft, insurance fraud, unauthorized practice of law.
The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office strongly believes there are others who may have been victimized by McAndrew and are asking them to contact Bucks County Detective Timothy Johnson at 215.348.6868 or through the tipline at at this link
McAndrew, who also went by Michael MacAndrews, has yet to be arraigned. Anyone with information on his whereabouts, is asked to contact Bucks County Detective Johnson.
The investigation by Bucks County Detectives revealed that McAndrew owned and operated Superior Legal Services at 1609 Woodbourne Road in Levittown, Middletown Township. The business advertised through a website, on social media and by sending letters to people possibly needing legal services.
A licensed attorney told Detectives he worked with McAndrew from June 2021 until learning that McAndrew was not licensed earlier this year. During that time, he said he co-counseled three civil cases with McAndrew and was referred 12 criminal cases that he handled on his own.
Detectives identified the parties in two of the civil suits and spoke to them.
One said he signed a retainer with McAndrew for $30,000 on Sept. 20, 2021, to be paid in six monthly installments of $5,000. He said he had paid McAndrew between $15,000 to $20,000 of the total.
The clients in the second civil suit said they signed a retainer with McAndrew on Feb. 18, 2022, and paid him $6,000 to represent them.
The investigation also revealed that McAndrew often identified himself as a licensed attorney with the same name who works for Comcast Cable and held professional liability insurance under his frequently used alias of Michael MacAndrews.
The case was investigated by Bucks County Detective Timothy Johnson and is assigned for prosecution to Deputy District Attorney Marc J. Furber, Chief of Insurance Fraud and Economic Crimes.
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