by Structured Settlement Watchdog
Convict Thomas Rubino, a former paralegal with Paris & Chaikin who was indicted by a New York Grand Jury on 234 counts of forgery Download Thomas Rubino Paris Chakin paralegal Grand Jury indictment, forged 76 judge's signatures on 117 structured settlement transfer documents to the detriment of the clients of New York law firm, Paris & Chaikin and led to multiple law suits against his former employers was sentenced to 6 months in jail, when prosecutors recommended 2 to 6 years.
Thomas Rubino is an admitted liar who falsely claimed to have attended law school. After being exposed for forgery, he concocted a story about his uncle's death to leave Paris & Chalkin's Penn Plaza offices. He even placed his cell phone on an Amtrak train bound for Connecticut while he himself traveled to Philadelphia—a scheme straight out of a movie.. Download Thomas Rubino Voluntary Disclosure to New York DA about Rubino's lies and forgeries
Here are the New York State laws on forgery. Despite the magnitude of the forgeries, Rubino's sentence appears to be the same as for a Class A Misdemeanor.
Are six months of baloney sandwiches, funded by New York taxpayers, really meant to serve as a deterrent?
Harvard Law School graduate Judge Thomas Farber's puzzling math implies that Thomas Rubino gets about one month for every 19-20 forged orders. On the surface, it feels more like the half-hearted attempt to clean your carpet after your dog has joyfully butt scooted in circles across your pristine white living room rug.
According to a January 10, 2017 report in the New York Post [which first reported Rubino's crimes with the sensational headline "Law and Forger"]:
In 2011, Rubino was drowning in insurance settlement forms when he discovered that forgery was a real time saver.
“Each year, the workload increased and I had difficulty keeping up,” Rubino told investigators after his 2015 arrest. “I made the forged orders when I felt overwhelmed with work. I was motivated out of fear that the work wouldn’t get done.”
Rubino copped a plea to 10 counts of forgery, despite reports in September 2015 that he admitted to 117 forged documents.