Fake Paralegal Convicted of Fraud and Unauthorized Legal Practice
A federal jury has convicted Christopher Reese, also known as “Christopher Eugene Thomas,” of fraud and unauthorized practice of law in connection with a scheme that targeted criminal defendants and their families. Reese, 57, of East Meadow, New York, was found guilty of charging individuals for legal services despite not being a licensed attorney.
The verdict was announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. Prosecutors argued that Reese collected hundreds of thousands of dollars by falsely representing himself as capable of securing favorable outcomes in federal criminal cases. According to court records, Reese presented himself as a "legal assistant" or "paralegal" but performed legal work without the supervision of a licensed attorney, including drafting and filing motions in federal courts.
Authorities stated that Reese charged clients substantial fees, sometimes promising immediate release from custody, though he had no ability to guarantee such outcomes. In some cases, he allegedly offered refunds if his legal filings were unsuccessful but ultimately kept the payments.
In addition to the fraud charges, prosecutors said Reese engaged in money laundering by using a co-conspirator to conceal the origins of the funds he collected. He was also accused of making false statements to the U.S. Probation Office while on supervised release for a separate case.
Reese was convicted of wire fraud, unauthorized practice of law in a federal enclave, making false statements to a probation officer, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Each charge carries a potential prison sentence, with wire fraud and money laundering each carrying a maximum of 20 years. He was acquitted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Reese is currently in federal custody and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 26, 2025, by U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni.
Federal prosecutors credited special agents from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their investigative efforts in the case, which was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Josiah Pertz, Kingdar Prussien, and James McMahon.