NEWARK, N.J. – A Jersey City attorney is trading his courtroom appearances for a prison cell after being sentenced to 66 months behind bars for a brazen scheme that defrauded his clients of over $2 million. James R. Lisa, 68, received the sentence today from U.S. District Judge Julien X. Neals, following a guilty plea to a litany of charges including wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, obstructing the IRS, and failing to file his own taxes.
The scheme, detailed in court documents, centered around a family seeking to recover funds held in offshore accounts. Lisa successfully repatriated over $6 million in 2015, but then systematically lied to the family, claiming the money remained overseas. He handed over $4 million in 2017 but pocketed the remaining $2 million, continuing the charade that the funds were inaccessible. He even fabricated IRS “closing agreements” – documents the IRS confirms never existed – to falsely assure the family that tax obligations were being handled. When the IRS actually audited a family member, Lisa doubled down, submitting fraudulent documents to support his lies.
“James Lisa used his law license to execute a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme and rip off clients who placed their trust in him,” stated U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger. “Then, after being charged for that fraud, Lisa committed another when, posing as his own lawyer, he sent a bogus letter to a lender that falsely described the status of his criminal case. Lisa’s multiple criminal acts were serious violations of his oath as an officer of the court and a betrayal of his clients’ trust. The sentence imposed today is his just punishment for these crimes.”
The audacity didn’t stop there. Even after being arrested in January 2023 and released on bail, Lisa committed more fraud. In April 2023, he applied for a $22,000 loan, forging a letter from his own attorney to mislead the lender about the status of his criminal case and secure the funds. The court also found that Lisa failed to file individual income tax returns from 2015 through 2022, causing a tax loss to the IRS exceeding $550,000.
Judge Neals didn’t just hand down the 66-month prison sentence. Lisa will also serve three years of supervised release upon his release and is ordered to pay $2.05 million in restitution to his victims and a further $550,000 to the IRS. The investigation was led by special agents with the Office of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), Mid Atlantic Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Andrew McK.
This case serves as a stark reminder that even those entrusted with the law are not above it. Lisa’s betrayal of his clients and the government demonstrates a callous disregard for both legal ethics and the financial well-being of those he swore to protect. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on the fallout from Lisa’s criminal actions.
Related Federal Cases
- Enrico Rubano, Shivam Maharaj Copped to $3.4M Fund Rip-Off · New Jersey
- New Jersey CEO Rips Off USPS with $158,380 Scam · New Jersey
- Jersey City Attorney Sentenced to 66 Months for $2M Wire Fraud Scheme · New Jersey
- Jin Gets 25 Months for $1.7M Check Fraud Scheme · New Jersey
- David Evdokimow Gets 3 Years for $5.8M Tax Evasion · New Jersey
Key Facts
- State: New Jersey
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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