Former clients accuse man of running bogus law office
Associated Press
SEATTLE – A paroled convict operated a successful legal services office in Tacoma even though he wasn’t a lawyer, and some of his clients have accused him of bilking them out f thousands of dollars.
Richard Wayne Ben-Neth, 41, operated Attorneys’ Legas Support Services, Inc., the first company listed under “attorney referrals” in the Tacoma Yellow Pages.
A copyright story about Ben-Neth was published in Thursday’s editions of The Seattle Times. Records show Ben-Neth started his business while in a state prison work-release facility. He continued to dispense legal advice for almost two years before he was arrested in November.
Records also show Ben-Neth took $17,000 from three clients to whom he was giving bogus legal advice about a deal with a contractor, and that Ben-Neth has not returned the money, the Times reported.