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White Plains Real Estate Lawyer Guilty of $2M Theft

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. – A White Plains real estate attorney pleaded guilty Wednesday in Westchester County Court to stealing $2 million in real estate transactions over a 5½-year period, District Attorney Janet DiFiore announced.

Attorney Kevin Hymes of North Castle pleaded guilty Wednesday in White Plains to stealing $2 million during real estate transactions between 2007 and 2012.

Attorney Kevin Hymes of North Castle pleaded guilty Wednesday in White Plains to stealing $2 million during real estate transactions between 2007 and 2012.

Photo Credit: Westchester District Attorney's Office

Kevin Hymes, 39, of North Castle, was previously convicted on federal charges in the Southern District of New York in connection with a $58 million mortgage fraud scheme. He was convicted of conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud and sentenced on the federal charges Monday.

On Wednesday, he pleaded guilty to state charges, including second-degree grand larceny, third-degree grand larceny and first-degree scheme to defraud, all felonies.

Between Jan. 1, 2007, and June 27, 2012, Hymes defrauded multiple individuals and banks while working as a real estate attorney in White Plains. He used several tactics, including concealing the date and time of real estate closings and stealing prospective home buyers’ deposits totaling $157,500. He also stole $1.4 million while working as a closing agent for several banks. He was arrested on June 27 of 2012.

“Today’s guilty plea holds this defendant accountable for fraudulent conduct that caused serious financial damage to his victims, who entrusted him with their personal affairs and bank accounts,” DiFiore said in a statement Wednesday.

“He defrauded numerous clients regarding sales and purchases of multiple real estate properties throughout the metropolitan area," she said. "The public must have confidence that their sales and purchases are being honestly and ethically transacted, or as we have witnessed in the housing crisis that we are only now beginning to recover from, the whole system will collapse.” 

Hymes, who has been disbarred from practicing law, faces a maximum of 15 years in state prison when he is sentenced April 23. His federal sentence will run concurrently with his state sentence.

Assistant District Attorney Shara Abraham of the Public Integrity Bureau is prosecuting the case.

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