Michael Larry Goldman, 51, attorney, East Rockaway, New York was charged with grand larceny. Goldman was a partner in Goldman and Rio, Manhattan.

According to authorities, in early 2004, Goldman represented the sellers of a house in Glen Cove, Long Island. The prospective buyer successfully bid on the house and gave Goldman a check for $43,000 to be placed into escrow for the closing, which was scheduled for the end of May, 2004. Goldman was suspended from the bar in May, 2004 but did not tell the buyer of his suspension. For a variety of reasons, the house closing was delayed until September, at which point the buyer demanded the return of the down payment. Goldman stalled, and the house wound up being sold to someone else. Goldman never returned the $43,000 that the victim had given him to be placed in escrow.

Michael A. Szegda, 60, attorney, Westwood, New Jersey was charged with grand larceny.

According to authorities, Szegda was retained to represent Delwar Hussain in the sale of a property in upper Manhattan in 2001. The proceeds of the sale, $350,000, were placed in Szegda’s escrow account. The completion of the transaction was delayed due to litigation involving the property until 2003. Despite the resolution of that litigation and repeated requests that the escrow funds be dispersed to Mr. Hussain, Szegda has never done so. Szegda was suspended from practice in September, 2005 after failing to respond to complaints of ethical misconduct filed against him with the Departmental Disciplinary Committee.