DA: Mineola Attorney Stole Funds from Queens Couple

A Mineola attorney was charged Thursday with stealing more than $20,000 in escrow funds owed to a Queens couple, authorities said.

The Nassau County District Attorney’s office said Bill Tsoumpelis, 48, of St. James was hired by a husband and wife from Queens to represent them in the sale of their home. On contract, the purchasers made a down payment by check for $75,000, to be held in escrow by Tsoumpelis pending the closing of the sale. The check was deposited in Tsoumpelis’ attorney trust account on July 8, 2014.

But asbestos was supposedly found in the pipe installation, and at the closing on Aug. 21, 2014, parties agreed that $20,000 would be held in escrow by Tsoumpelis pending resolution of the issue, the DA’s office said.

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The matter was resolved several days later, and the Queens sellers sought payment from Tsoumpelis of the $20,000 owed to them. But, Tsoumpelis allegedly did not immediately pay the money back, saying that he intended to get a release from the purchaser’s attorney authorizing the payment, which was subsequently sent by the attorney alerting Tsoumpelis that the funds could be released, according to the DA’s office.

Tsoumpelis then allegedly wrote a check from his law firm’s account rather than his escrow account for $21,932 payable to one of the Queens sellers. But, the check was incomplete, with the amount stated only in numerals, and not written out in words. As a result, the sellers were told by their bank that it would not accept the check for deposit, the DA’s office said.

The sellers continued to try to secure the payment from Tsoumpelis, but were not successful, according to the DA’s office. In November 2014, the sellers filed a complaint with the Nassau County DA’s office, which began an investigation leading to Tsoumpelis’ arrest by DA investigators.

Tsoumpelis is charged with third-degree grand larceny.

Nassau District Court Judge Darlene Harris released Tsoumpelis on his own recognizance.

If convicted, Tsoumpelis faces up to 2-1/3 years to seven years in prison. He is due back in court on March 23.

Image: NCDA Photo of Bill Tsoumpelis

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