The Fake ID Lawyer Gets Real Jail
An Ohio lawyer who took deception to a whole new level has just been handed a 37-month prison sentence. The lawyer managed to secure jobs at multiple law firms by using fake identities—a feat that’s both astonishing and unsettling.
By creating entirely fictional personas, complete with fabricated credentials and backgrounds, he went all out to secure high-paying legal jobs.
Richard Louis Crosby III, 37 indicated he was a US Marine, a college football player and a former Kirkland & Ellis lawyer.
He was jailed by a federal judge in Cincinnati to pay more than $170,000 back to the firms he defrauded.
The result was some serious jail time.
One Miami-based law firm in October 2022 gave Crosby a job with a $185,000 salary and a $5,000 signing bonus, and he was paid more than $83,000 between October 2022 and March 2023, prosecutors said.
Crosby’s job at the Miami firm came to an end in April 2023 after an investigator from the Clermont County, Ohio, Child Support Enforcement office contacted the firm and revealed Crosby’s true identity, prosecutors said.
But the case also highlights how vulnerable law firms can be to deception, especially when it comes to vetting new hires.
In an era where background checks are supposed to be rigorous, it’s surprising that such a brazen scheme went undetected for so long.
The case serves as a wakeup call for law firms for thorough background checks and verification processes.
Although creativity might be an asset in many areas of law, it’s not something you want to apply to your resume or personal history.
