A 64-Year Old Calif. Man Really Loved Being a Lawyer But There Was One Big Problem

By Allan Lengel

ticklethewire.com

Let’s face it, Harold Goldstein of Newport Beach, Calif., really really loved being an attorney.

Really.

One big problem: He didn’t have a law degree.

In May, he was sprung from prison after serving time for posing as an attorney. Last Sunday, the FBI arrested the 64-year-old man at his home for violating his parole by posing as an attorney once again, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. On Monday, a federal judge ordered him held without bond.

In 2005, Goldstein, originally got 13 years in years in prison for making false declarations to the court and sending solicitation letters to inmates advertising his legal services. He stole the real identity of a Northern California lawyer. His sentence was eventually reduced.

On May 1, he was released from prison. While out, the government charges, that Goldstein posted a job ad on Craigslist. He told applicants that he was retired or semi-retired and was looking to contract with an attorney who could do in-court legal work, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

A preliminary hearing is set for June 22. Hopefully, he won’t represent himself during the proceeding.