Brookfield Attorney Disbarred After $500K Theft

Action comes after Thomas Bielinski is convicted of stealing more than $500,000 in unclaimed foreclosure funds from Milwaukee County.

The state Supreme Court on Tuesday revoked the law license of Brookfield attorney accused of scamming more than $500,000 from Milwaukee County in an elaborate four-year scheme. Thomas Bielinski, 52, was convicted in a scheme in which he purported to represent the rightful owners of unclaimed funds kept by the county clerk, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Bielinski's financial records showed he had no legitimate law practice at the time and his fraud scheme was his primary source of income, according to court records. In order to commit these thefts, Bielinski engaged in a series of identity thefts, false notarizations, forgeries, and thefts of court records. He filed forged documents with the Milwaukee County Circuit Court and…

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Newspaper Carrier Imposters Get Jail Time, Probation

Two men who ran a scheme to pose as Milwaukee Journal Sentinel newspaper carriers to get holiday tips were sentenced to jail Monday for their crimes.

Two men who tried to grift money from area residents by posing as Milwaukee Journal Sentinel carriers during the 2011 holiday season will spend this year's season in jail. David S. Downer, 34, of Hartford, and Stephen C. Schumacher, 42, of City of Pewaukee, were each sentenced Monday to jail with work-release and probation for trying to swindle unearned tips from residents. Prosecutors asked Waukesha County Circuit Judge Patrick Haughney to give each man 60 days in jail. But Haughney instead gave Downer 75 days in jail and two years probation because he has a prior criminal record, while Schumacher got 21 days in jail and nine months probation. Both men were convicted of three misdemeanor counts of attempted theft by misrepresentation. …

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Common Scams and Schemes: BBB to Present at Library

Learn how to avoid falling prey to unscrupulous people and practices when Susan Bach of The Better Business Bureau of Wisconsin presents “Common Scams and Schemes” Tuesday at the Brookfield Public Library.

Two Charged in Newspaper Delivery Tips Grift

One suspect allegedly took an empty route sheet from a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel manager to pick homes where he had another man leave fake business cards for holiday tips.

Two men are facing charges for allegedly orchestrating a scheme to get tips from Milwaukee Journal Sentinel subscribers by pretending to be newspaper delivery carriers. David S. Downer, 33, of Hartford, and Stephen C. Schumacher, 41, of the City of Pewaukee, were each charged in Waukesha County Circuit Court Monday with three counts of attempted theft by misrepresentation. If convicted, they each face up to 13 ½ months in prison and $15,000 in fines. According to the criminal complaint: On Dec. 4 a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel newspaper carrier contacted Brookfield police after he saw Downer placing cards stuffed with flyers in mailboxes. The flyers said, “It has been a pleasure delivering papers,” and wished subscribers a joyous holiday …

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Despite Some Issues with Petitions, Recalls Likely to Move Forward

Some fraud allegations were true, some were false, and some complaints will likely yield to an investigation. But there aren't enough to stop the recall from moving forward, state election official says.

The head of the agency that oversees elections in Wisconsin says there have been some instances of fraudulent signatures found on the petitions seeking to recall Republican Gov. Scott Walker from office. And with at least three outside groups going through the signatures looking for problems, Government Accountability Board Director Kevin Kennedy said his staff expects to hear even more allegations about possible fraud. While the GAB and other agencies will investigate all such complaints, it's unlikely there will be enough of them to stop the recall from moving forward, Kennedy said in a memo released Friday. "The highly polarized political atmosphere which has engendered the current recall initiatives has also generated a constant buzz …

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Dark Star

5:20 am on Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Yeah Wendell, I also agree that too many Dems would be willing to carbon tax our economy to death without demanding reciprocation from economies like India and China that bring on a new Coal fired plant every week. We could stop emitting all carbon in the US, and without China, India, Brazil, Korea etc, there'd be very little difference except that we would be more uncompetitive and soon be broke…   more ›

Bail set at $1M for Brookfield Lawyer in Fraud Case

A judge Tuesday set bail at $1 million for attorney Thomas Bielinski after he failed to appear in court and was later arrested.

Fugitive Brookfield Lawyer Arrested in Washington County

Attorney charged with fraud was wanted after he failed to appear in court on Monday.

Brookfield Lawyer Accused in $500K Fraud Fails to Appear for Plea

An arrest warrant was issued for lawyer Thomas E. Bielinski after he failed to show for his court hearing in Milwaukee Monday.

An arrest warrant was issued Monday for a Brookfield lawyer accused in a $500,000 fraud case when he failed to appear in court for a hearing to change his not guilty plea. Thomas E. Bielinski, 52, did not show up for his scheduled 8:30 a.m. hearing before Milwaukee County Circuit Judge J.D. Watts, according to online court records. Bielinski is accused in a criminal complaint of stealing more than $500,000 in unclaimed foreclosure funds, according to this JSOnline.com story.

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Cyber Monday Scamming Threats and Tips

Don't get caught up in the Cyber Monday scams. Read how to avoid the problems with tips from the Better Business Bureau.

If fighting crowds on Black Friday doesn't sound very appealing, give Cyber Monday a chance. The Monday after Thanksgiving has been dubbed the online version of the deal-snagging Black Friday, but it's all done from the comfort of your couch.  The National Retail Federation says seven in 10 retailers expect sales to grow at least 15 percent during the holidays, and an average shopper plans to do 36 percent of his or her purchases online. That's up from 33 percent last year. That's why the Wisconsin Better Business Bureau came up with a list of tips and scams to look out for when perusing today's unbelievable online deals. Shop on trustworthy websites.  Check a seller's reputation and record for customer satisfaction at bbb.org. Look for …

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Florida Woman Charged After Trying to Defraud Brookfield Bank

Suspect, 31, told investigators she took part in a scheme to steal people's identities and use them in other cities to obtain money.

A Davie, Fla. woman is facing charges after she allegedly tried to defraud a Brookfield bank as part of a wide-ranging scheme to steal bank account information and withdraw money from other people’s bank accounts. Cecelia Wallace, 31, was charged in Waukesha County Circuit Court Thursday with one felony count of identity theft for financial gain. If convicted, she faces up to six years in prison and $10,000 in fines. According to the criminal complaint: On June 24, Wallace went to US Bank, 205 N. Moorland Rd., and tried to deposit $10 into a checking account of another woman who had her purse stolen from a Brown County park. After Wallace gave the deposit slip and money to a bank teller, Wallace began asking questions about the balance of …

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