Fake Bank Accounts of the Dead Similar to the City Council Fake Non Profits Exposed by A Former Employees Lawsuit

Joseph Arenson and Phillip Beckerman, both law partner of surrogate candidate John Reddy and his predecessors as the Public Administrators counsel had illegal bank accounts in their name that distributed estate funds to other lawyers. That information came out as a result of a lawsuit by former counsel employee Connolly. No one was charged, however PA counsel Beckerman resigned and was replaced by his partner John Reddy.

“The official in charge of administering court-supervised estates in Manhattan has opened bank accounts normally reserved for the assets of dead people in the names of three lawyers working in her office, a practice that bank officials and law enforcement authorities describe as highly unusual, if not improper. Two of the lawyers say the accounts were opened without their knowledge and one has charged that his name was repeatedly forged on transactions. The official said the accounts were intended to hold money claimed by the lawyers, who are paid on a commission basis, for their work on estate cases. But records show that she disbursed money from the accounts to other lawyers doing estate work.” –NY Times, July 25, 1992

Update

Among the contributions (to Reddy campaign for Surrogate Judge) were donations of $20,000 each from Philip Bekerman and his wife, Roberta Bekerman. Mr. Bekerman, whose name remains on Mr. Reddy's law firm, Bekerman & Reddy, retired in 1992 due to illness - NY Law Journal, August 21, 2008.