Fraudster Lawyer Will Serve 11-23 Years For Cheating Clients

WEST CHESTER, PA — Defrauding and stealing from clients has gotten an attorney up to 23 years behind bars after a Chester County jury found him guilty in December.

Joshua Janis, 40, of New Jersey, was sentenced to 11 to 23 years in prison for multiple counts of theft, identity theft, fraud, and other charges, by Chester County Court Judge Patrick Carmody this week.

A jury, in December 2020, found the defendant guilty of 34 counts of defrauding victims who were his clients.

The defendant worked as a lawyer for a West Chester law firm in 2013 when it was discovered he was stealing money from the firm and its clients. He was fired by the firm and then started his own law practice, where he repeatedly accepted payments from victims for legal work he never performed over the next two years, the court case said.

The District Attorney's report said victims paid the defendant to handle civil disputes, personal injury cases, child custody, divorce, protection from abuse, and criminal defense. In many cases, he hurt victims’ legal interests by acting contrary to their legal position.

Late in 2015, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court suspended Janis's law license for five years, the D.A.'s office said.

On a separate date, the defendant pleaded guilty to 31 counts of identity theft, forgery, and other charges stemming from cases involving his ex-wife and his former mother-in-law, authorities reported.

According to the District Attorney, Janis's ex-wife began receiving credit card bills from companies where she did not have accounts. She discovered Janis was opening credit cards and taking out loans in her name after their divorce. The defendant also used his mother-in-law’s name to open credit cards, the D.A. reported.

Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan said, "Eight years after the defendant's criminal actions began, he is finally going to prison for victimizing people who hired him to represent their legal interests. He stole money and caused irreparable legal and emotional damage to victims of all ages in a callous and depraved manner. More than that, he stripped them of the valued trust between a client and their lawyer, tarnishing the profession. The victims, including his ex-wife and former mother-in-law, are to be commended for fighting to reclaim their lives from the damage he caused."

Chesco Detectives investigated. The prosecutors assigned were Ronald Yen and John McCaul.

Read recent reporting on the case here.

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