A Melville-based attorney pleaded not guilty to a grand larceny charge on Friday for allegedly stealing funds designated for a client’s purposes, Suffolk officials said.
Attorney Michael Tulchiner, 61, of Bellmore, allegedly took funds that were supposed to pay off a client’s debt to finalize a real estate transaction and used them for his own business purposes, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said in a news release on Friday.
A client, who the district attorney did not identify, retained Tulchiner to help close a real estate transaction, Tierney said. To complete the transaction, Tulchiner “was provided with a refinance loan on behalf of his client” to pay off a previous loan that client held, the release reads. The attorney was only authorized to use $413,237 from the refinance loan, which was deposited into his mortgage disbursement account, to pay a mortgage company on his client’s behalf.
On Aug. 26, 2022, Tulchiner withdrew that amount and received the funds in a bank check, according to the district attorney. However, instead of delivering the check to pay his client’s debt, he redeposited the funds back into his account three days later. An investigation determined that Tulchiner used the money to cover expenses of his Melville-based firm between August and December 2022.
In a statement, Tierney said Tulchiner used his state license “as a license to steal”
“The allegations against this attorney represent a gross violation of the trust that the victim placed in him as an attorney and a fiduciary,” Tierney said.
On Friday, Tulchiner pleaded not guilty to second-degree grand larceny before District Court Judge John B. Zollo in Central Islip, according to court records.
“Mr. Tulchiner, like anyone accused of a crime, is entitled to be treated with fairness and dignity under the law,” Scott Gross, Tulchiner’s defense attorney, told Newsday via email. “We will be closely examining the circumstances of this case and ensuring that his legal rights are fully protected throughout the process. While this is a difficult moment for him and his family, we are committed to working toward a resolution that takes into account all the facts and his unblemished history as both an attorney and member of the community.”
Tulchiner was released without bail and is expected to return to court on Sept. 2, according to the district attorney’s office.