Antonia Barrone, a/k/a Mario Vrendenburg, Forged Documents And Collected Over $23,000 For Fraudulent Legal Services
Barrone Will Serve 1 ½ To 3 Years In State Prison And Pay Nearly $270,000 In Restitution And Penalties
Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced the felony conviction of Antonia Barrone, a/k/a as Mario Vrendenburg (“Barrone”), who pled guilty to operating a fake law firm and pretending to be a licensed attorney, as well as defrauding over 400 New Yorkers out of more than $23,000 over the course of nearly five years. After pleading guilty to Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree, Barrone will serve 1 ½ to 3 years in state prison and owe nearly $270,000 in restitution and penalties.
In May 2017, the Attorney General’s Consumer Frauds and Protection Bureau filed a lawsuit in Albany County Supreme Court against NYS Prisoner Assistance Center, Inc., operating as the NYS Prisoner Assistance Center or NY Parole Aids (“NYSPAC”), and its owner, Barrone. The suit charged Barrone with bilking hundreds of New Yorkers, including prison inmates and their families, out of thousands of dollars to handle administrative parole appeals and other legal matters. The lawsuit alleged that Barrone operated these fraudulent businesses from her home and duped hundreds of consumers by falsely claiming to be an attorney and by misleading consumers to think that the NYS Prisoner Assistance Center was staffed with attorneys.
“Practicing law without a license undermines our judicial system and puts vulnerable consumers in need of legal services at risk,” said Attorney General Schneiderman. “My office is committed to protecting the legal rights of New Yorkers and will continue to work with our partners in law enforcement to ensure that those who attempt to impair that right are held accountable.”
Department of Corrections and Community Supervision Acting Commissioner Anthony J. Annucci said, “It is revolting to target inmates and their families at a time when they are preparing for an event as important as a Board of Parole interview and a chance at reentering the community. The Department will continue to do all it can to prevent unscrupulous people from taking advantage of and attempting to defraud New Yorkers.”
According to papers filed by the Attorney General’s Office, although Barrone is not an attorney, she advertised an array of legal services on the NYSPAC’s website and charged thousands of dollars to provide legal services. The services included filing administrative and judicial appeals on behalf of inmates who were denied parole by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) and representing inmates at administrative hearings and individuals facing criminal charges in various New York State courts. In some cases, Barrone accepted fees but did not perform any services.
Following Attorney General Schneiderman’s lawsuit, in August 2017, the Honorable Gerald W. Connolly of Albany County Supreme Court ordered Barrone and the NYS Prisoner Assistance Center to pay a $244,500 penalty to the State as well as full restitution of $23,427.70 to known consumers who paid for legal services. The judgment also prohibits Barrone and NYSPAC from practicing law without a license or advertising or selling legal or paralegal services.
In addition to the civil lawsuit, the Attorney General’s Criminal Enforcement and Financial Crimes Bureau launched a criminal investigation into Barrone’s conduct. On October 16, 2017, Barrone was arrested and arraigned in Albany City Court before the Honorable Holly A. Trexler on a felony complaint filed by the Attorney General’s Office charging: five counts of Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree, a class “D” felony; two counts of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a class “D” felony; one count of Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, a class “E” felony; one count of Unauthorized Practice of a Profession, a class “E” felony; and, one count of Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree, a class “E” felony.
According to the Attorney General’s felony complaint and statements made by the prosecutor, between September 1, 2012 and April 30, 2017, Barrone pretended to be an attorney and stole thousands of dollars from the families of inmates who hired her to provide legal representation for their loved ones. In furtherance of her nearly five-year scheme, Barrone filed legal documents with forged signatures and fake notary stamps, wrote letters on behalf of consumers on letterhead bearing the name of the fictitious law firm “Stacchini & Barrone, Attorneys at Law,” and appropriated the name of a licensed attorney, without that attorney’s knowledge.
Also according to the felony complaint, during the course of her scheme, Barrone made use of multiple different names, including Mario Vrendenberg, Antonio Barrone, Mario Stacchini, Mario Helems, T. Helems, and Mark Vredenburg. The prosecutor stated that Barrone and the entities she operated had over 400 clients seeking legal services throughout New York State, including but not limited to the Counties of Albany, Cayuga, Clinton, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schoharie, Suffolk, Ulster, Warren and Westchester.
Today, Barrone entered a guilty plea to one count of Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree before Albany County Court Judge Honorable Peter A. Lynch. Barrone is scheduled to be sentenced to 1 ½ to 3 years in state prison on November 16, 2017, which will run consecutive to Barrone’s sentence of 1 1/3 to 4 years in state prison also scheduled for November 16, 2017 for an unrelated felony conviction before Honorable Andrew G. Ceresia.
The Attorney General urges consumers who have a complaint against Barrone or the NYS Prisoner Assistance Center, Inc. to file a complaint online or call 1-800--771-7755.
Consumers can check whether an individual is a licensed attorney in New York State by visiting the New York State Unified Court System’s website
Today’s convictions were the result of a joint investigation by the Attorney General’s Office and DOCCS. Attorney General Schneiderman thanks DOCCS for its valuable assistance in this matter.
Additionally, Attorney General Schneiderman thanks the Board of Parole Counsel’s Office, who uncovered Barrone’s efforts to deceive and bilk families by meticulously going through records and identifying this fraudulent activity. Their findings contributed to the Attorney General's investigation and criminal prosecution. Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced the felony conviction of Antonia Barrone, a/k/a as Mario Vrendenburg (“Barrone”), who pled guilty to operating a fake law firm and pretending to be a licensed attorney, as well as defrauding over 400 New Yorkers out of more than $23,000 over the course of nearly five years. After pleading guilty to Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree, Barrone will serve 1 ½ to 3 years in state prison and owe nearly $270,000 in restitution and penalties.
In May 2017, the Attorney General’s Consumer Frauds and Protection Bureau filed a lawsuit in Albany County Supreme Court against NYS Prisoner Assistance Center, Inc., operating as the NYS Prisoner Assistance Center or NY Parole Aids (“NYSPAC”), and its owner, Barrone. The suit charged Barrone with bilking hundreds of New Yorkers, including prison inmates and their families, out of thousands of dollars to handle administrative parole appeals and other legal matters. The lawsuit alleged that Barrone operated these fraudulent businesses from her home and duped hundreds of consumers by falsely claiming to be an attorney and by misleading consumers to think that the NYS Prisoner Assistance Center was staffed with attorneys.
“Practicing law without a license undermines our judicial system and puts vulnerable consumers in need of legal services at risk,” said Attorney General Schneiderman. “My office is committed to protecting the legal rights of New Yorkers and will continue to work with our partners in law enforcement to ensure that those who attempt to impair that right are held accountable.”
Department of Corrections and Community Supervision Acting Commissioner Anthony J. Annucci said, “It is revolting to target inmates and their families at a time when they are preparing for an event as important as a Board of Parole interview and a chance at reentering the community. The Department will continue to do all it can to prevent unscrupulous people from taking advantage of and attempting to defraud New Yorkers.”
According to papers filed by the Attorney General’s Office, although Barrone is not an attorney, she advertised an array of legal services on the NYSPAC’s website and charged thousands of dollars to provide legal services. The services included filing administrative and judicial appeals on behalf of inmates who were denied parole by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) and representing inmates at administrative hearings and individuals facing criminal charges in various New York State courts. In some cases, Barrone accepted fees but did not perform any services.
Following Attorney General Schneiderman’s lawsuit, in August 2017, the Honorable Gerald W. Connolly of Albany County Supreme Court ordered Barrone and the NYS Prisoner Assistance Center to pay a $244,500 penalty to the State as well as full restitution of $23,427.70 to known consumers who paid for legal services. The judgment also prohibits Barrone and NYSPAC from practicing law without a license or advertising or selling legal or paralegal services.
In addition to the civil lawsuit, the Attorney General’s Criminal Enforcement and Financial Crimes Bureau launched a criminal investigation into Barrone’s conduct. On October 16, 2017, Barrone was arrested and arraigned in Albany City Court before the Honorable Holly A. Trexler on a felony complaint filed by the Attorney General’s Office charging: five counts of Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree, a class “D” felony; two counts of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a class “D” felony; one count of Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, a class “E” felony; one count of Unauthorized Practice of a Profession, a class “E” felony; and, one count of Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree, a class “E” felony.
According to the Attorney General’s felony complaint and statements made by the prosecutor, between September 1, 2012 and April 30, 2017, Barrone pretended to be an attorney and stole thousands of dollars from the families of inmates who hired her to provide legal representation for their loved ones. In furtherance of her nearly five-year scheme, Barrone filed legal documents with forged signatures and fake notary stamps, wrote letters on behalf of consumers on letterhead bearing the name of the fictitious law firm “Stacchini & Barrone, Attorneys at Law,” and appropriated the name of a licensed attorney, without that attorney’s knowledge.
Also according to the felony complaint, during the course of her scheme, Barrone made use of multiple different names, including Mario Vrendenberg, Antonio Barrone, Mario Stacchini, Mario Helems, T. Helems, and Mark Vredenburg. The prosecutor stated that Barrone and the entities she operated had over 400 clients seeking legal services throughout New York State, including but not limited to the Counties of Albany, Cayuga, Clinton, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schoharie, Suffolk, Ulster, Warren and Westchester.
Today, Barrone entered a guilty plea to one count of Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree before Albany County Court Judge Honorable Peter A. Lynch. Barrone is scheduled to be sentenced to 1 ½ to 3 years in state prison on November 16, 2017, which will run consecutive to Barrone’s sentence of 1 1/3 to 4 years in state prison also scheduled for November 16, 2017 for an unrelated felony conviction before Honorable Andrew G. Ceresia.
The Attorney General urges consumers who have a complaint against Barrone or the NYS Prisoner Assistance Center, Inc. to file a complaint online or call 1-800--771-7755.
Consumers can check whether an individual is a licensed attorney in New York State by visiting the New York State Unified Court System’s website
Today’s convictions were the result of a joint investigation by the Attorney General’s Office and DOCCS. Attorney General Schneiderman thanks DOCCS for its valuable assistance in this matter.
Additionally, Attorney General Schneiderman thanks the Board of Parole Counsel’s Office, who uncovered Barrone’s efforts to deceive and bilk families by meticulously going through records and identifying this fraudulent activity. Their findings contributed to the Attorney General's investigation and criminal prosecution.
