A Bellmore man who had a law practice in Melville pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $500,000 in funds that were supposed to be used for a client’s real estate transaction.
Michael Tulchiner, the former principal attorney at The Law Office of Michael J. Tulchiner, based in Melville, stole $413,237 from his mortgage disbursement account between August and December 2022.
According to court documents and the defendant’s admissions during his guilty plea allocution, Tulchiner was hired to represent his client at the closing of a real estate transaction. Part of the closing required Tulchiner’s client to pay off a prior loan on the property that was being sold. Tulchiner was provided with a refinance loan on behalf of his client, a portion of which was designated specifically to be used to pay off the prior loan.
The refinance loan was placed in Tulchiner’s mortgage disbursement account, and he was authorized to use the funds only for the designated purpose of paying the required amounts to close on the sale of the property. Tulchiner was required to pay $413,237 to a mortgage company for his client and he ordered a bank check for that purpose on August 26, 2022. However, rather than delivering that check, Tulchiner redeposited the money back into his account on August 29, 2022. An analysis of Tulchiner’s bank account revealed that he subsequently spent the money on expenses related to his firm and unrelated to the authorized transaction.
On January 27, 2026, Tulchiner pleaded guilty to Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a Class C felony, before Supreme Court Justice John B. Collins.
Collins ordered Tulchiner to pay $499,000 in full restitution and to forfeit his license to practice law.
“This sentence, including full restitution of $499,000 and the permanent forfeiture of his law license, is a reminder that no one is above the law – especially those sworn to uphold it,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney. “This betrayal not only harmed an innocent client but undermined the integrity of our legal profession.”