Non-lawyer Perpetrates Fraud Against Citizens Pretending to Offer Legal Services

The Investigative Committee of Armenia has revealed that a 33-year-old resident of Yerevan, who is not a lawyer and lacks a license to practice law, committed fraud by posing as a legal professional.

According to the investigation carried out by the Kanaker–Zeytun subdivision of the Investigative Committee, the individual placed an advertisement board on a one-story building on Hrachya Nersisyan Street, stating it was the 'Omerta Law Office.'

Without having the status of a lawyer, he also founded a company named 'Omerta Law Office,' under which he defrauded clients, engaging in schemes to unlawfully acquire ownership of others' property through deception and breach of trust. Specifically, from December 2020 to August 2022, approximately ten individuals, believing the advertisement in a public place to be legitimate, entered the office and interacted with the 33-year-old man.

He introduced himself as a licensed attorney, and as the director of the company, he offered legal services in exchange for payment, obtaining a variety of documents from public and private institutions, and drafting and filing claims with the court. Misleading clients, he assured them he would resolve their legal issues, which led them to pay the requested amounts.

To mask his deceitful acquisition of funds under the guise of a civil transaction, the man signed contracts for legal services but failed to perform any actions or provide any legal assistance, thereby fraudulently stealing the specified amounts.

Additionally, as an employee of the commercial organization, he acted as an arbitrator for the 'Omerta' LLC's ongoing arbitration tribunal, using his authority against the company’s interests and in favor of another individual. In August 2021, he issued an obviously fabricated ruling from the arbitration tribunal, which was submitted to the court and subsequently resulted in an enforcement order. This ruling mandated the seizure of unpaid funds from a colleague on behalf of a citizen. The State Revenue Committee subsequently imposed restrictions on the individual’s owned property and financial resources, leading to a decision to sell the property through forced auction, thus causing significant harm to his rights and legal interests.

Based on the gathered evidence, the 33-year-old man has been charged with stealing various amounts of money through fraud and misusing his authority as a trading organization employee and document forgery. The preliminary investigation has been completed, and the case materials have been sent to the supervising prosecutor for approval and submission to court.