NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – A former attorney pleaded guilty on Wednesday to stealing over $800,000 from three clients, prosecutors said.
Douglas Valente, 57, a former Florida attorney with the Valente Law Group in Stony Brook, admitted to stealing from clients in the span of over two years.
"No one, not even attorneys, is above the law, and my office will tirelessly prosecute professionals who betray their clients' trust," Suffolk District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney said.
Valente stole nearly $180,000 from the sale of a client's home between April and May 2020, according to court documents. He was supposed to split the proceeds between the client and her matrimonial attorney. He sent half to the client but did not send the rest to the matrimonial attorney.
In a separate incident, Valente stole $248,027 from Guaranteed Rate Inc., a mortgage lender from late September to early October 2020. Valente was supposed to pay off an existing mortgage with the wired funds but did not, forcing Guaranteed Rate Inc. to cover the cost.
The latest incident was when Valente stole almost $400,000 from another client Furthermore, between May 2021 and September 2022. He was representing this client in the sale of a home due to a pending divorce. Valente used those funds for personal and business expenses when they were supposed to be held in escrow until the divorce's finalized.
Valente pleaded guilty to three counts of grand Larceny in the second degree.
He is scheduled to return to court on Dec. 11.



