A Morrisville man who pleaded guilty to practicing law without a license and collected thousands of dollars from clients was sentenced to Bucks County Correctional Facility (BCCF) on Friday.
Michael Jerome McAndrew, 58, who also went by the name of Michael MacAndrews, was sentenced on May 3, 2024 to a term of nine to 23 months. In March, McAndrew entered a guilty plea to theft by deception, deceptive business practices, identity theft, insurance fraud, and unauthorized practice of law, according to the District Attorney’s (DA) Office.
Charges were filed against him in 2022. McAndrew has been in custody since August 2023. His sentence began on Friday, since he waived credit for his time served. Common Pleas Judge Charissa J. Liller also ordered him to serve five years of probation, reside in a recovery house, undergo drug and alcohol treatment, and repay $26,000 in restitution to three sets of victims, the DA’s Office said.
McAndrew would go through great lengths to portray himself as an attorney, advertising his business through social media, a business website with positive customer testimonials, online reviews that referred to him as “Mike the Lawyer,” and by sending letters to people possibly in need of legal services, said Deputy District Attorney Marc J. Furber, at Friday’s hearing.
The investigation by Detective Timothy Johnson revealed that McAndrew owned and operated Superior Legal Services at 1609 Woodbourne Road in Levittown, Middletown Township. McAndrew also 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, said the DA’s Office.
Numerous victims were identified. Johnson spoke to the victims, uncovering that they paid legal fees to McAndrew.
“Not only do they feel betrayed,” Furber said, “they feel a profound sense of embarrassment that they were so misled.”
The case was investigated by Bucks County Detective Timothy Johnson and prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Marc J. Furber, Chief of Insurance Fraud and Economic Crimes.
Credit: Submitted