The attorney admitted that he changed names of defendants in asbestos lawsuits in order to drum up business.
CAMDEN -- A former lawyer was sentenced to 2 years in prison Friday for falsifying names of defendants in more than 100 asbestos lawsuits in order to drum up business for himself and to increase his standing in his law firm, the U.S. Attorney's office announced.
Arobert C. Tonagbanua, 47, of Sicklerville, previously pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in the case.
From 2008 through April 2012, Tonagbanua worked in the Haddonfield office of a law firm specializing in toxic tort litigation, workers' compensation and immigration law.
During that time, he admitted obtaining copies of legitimate asbestos complaints filed in New York State courts and fraudulently altering them by deleting the name of the defendant and inserting the name of one or more of his firm's clients, authorities said.
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Without the knowledge of anyone else at the firm, he forwarded those altered complaints to the firm's clients.
After notifying clients of the suits, Tonagbanua and others in the law firm who were not aware of the scheme began representing clients by attending depositions and even settling some claims, according to the U.S. Attorney's office.
Tonagbanua's scheme generated more than $1 million in fraudulent fees, costs and settlements. He personally benefited through bonuses and increased compensation, officials said.
In addition to his prison term, Tonagbanua was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay remaining restitution of more than $232,000.
Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.