(WNY News Now) – Lockport – Niagara Falls attorney Robert Koryl, 69, has pled guilty to multiple felony charges, including grand larceny, for embezzling $169,000 from clients’ funds.
In a startling revelation of legal misconduct, Niagara County District Attorney Brian D. Seaman announced that Robert Koryl, a 69-year-old attorney from Niagara Falls, has pleaded guilty to several felony charges. Koryl, who admitted to stealing $169,000 from his clients’ trust funds, faces severe consequences, including the loss of his license to practice law.
Koryl’s guilty plea includes two counts of Grand Larceny in the 3rd Degree and two counts of Grand Larceny in the 4th Degree. The stolen funds, which were supposed to be safeguarded in Koryl’s attorney trust fund, represent a profound breach of legal ethics and fiduciary responsibility.
District Attorney Seaman emphasized the gravity of the case, stating, “When people go to a lawyer’s office to deal with complicated financial matters, they put themselves in the trust of that person. An embezzlement by a lawyer is not just a theft, it is also a violation of fiduciary duty that does harm to the profession as a whole.”
As a result of his felony conviction, Koryl will lose his license to practice law in New York State and could face up to seven years in prison for the most severe charge. The case was thoroughly investigated by the Niagara County District Attorney’s Office and prosecuted by Special Investigations Bureau Chief Susan Bjornholm.
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