Patterico's Pontifications

11/17/2007

Catch Me if You Can, Legal Edition

Filed under: Law — DRJ @ 8:20 pm



[Guest post by DRJ]

I thought the Leonardo DiCaprio-Tom Hanks film Catch Me if You Can was entertaining as well as intriguing because it was based on a true story – the story of Frank Abagnale, Jr., a con man who spent four years “impersonating an airline pilot, a doctor, and a lawyer–all before he turned 21.”

Apparently some Texas law enforcement agencies consider Mauricio Celis the legal version of Frank Abagnale, Jr.:

Mauricio Celis, a man of modest beginnings who achieved personal wealth and political clout through the legal system, was indicted Friday in Corpus Christi on seven felony counts of misrepresenting himself as a lawyer. A Nueces County grand jury also charged him with one count each of impersonating a peace officer, aggravated perjury and stealing from a client. If convicted of all charges, he could face up to three decades in prison.

Celis, 36, has owned the CGT Law Group International firm in Corpus Christi for two years. He did not study law in the United States but for nearly a decade has worked closely with various South Texas plaintiff’s lawyers, climbing the economic and political ladder to the point where he could contribute huge sums to area and state political candidates.

The indictments allege Celis represented himself as a lawyer variously licensed in Mexico, Texas, California, and Washington D.C. Celis, who has denied ever claiming to be a lawyer in Texas, did not return calls to his home and law firm today. In an earlier interview he said he was only the administrator at the law firm despite company documents that described him as a lawyer.

His rapid rise to prominence and uncanny ability to land big lawsuit cases, which he typically referred to powerful local litigators for a share of the recovery, may have led to his undoing.”

One of the rumored grand jury witnesses has an interesting history with Celis:

“The grand jury met three times before returning the indictments. It is believed to have heard testimony from [Corpus Christi lawyer Thomas] Henry’s client Paloma Steele, former sheriff Larry Olivarez who now works for Celis, an unnamed member of the CGT law firm, and a woman who briefly but famously shared a hot tub with Celis.

In that September incident, Celis allegedly attempted to “take into custody” a nude woman at 4 a.m. outside a Corpus Christi convenience store while dressed only in a bathrobe and waving a sheriff’s badge from nearby Duval County. Celis, whose peace officer license as a reserve deputy for that county had expired in 2003, now is charged with impersonating a police officer and attempting to interfere with an investigation.”

The Texas Attorney General has also sued to shut down Celis’ law firm.

— DRJ

3 Responses to “Catch Me if You Can, Legal Edition”

  1. Leo DeCaprio they wacko who flew from LA to WASHINGTON D.C. and rode in a gas guzzling limo to a park to give a big speech on GLOBAL WARMING what a hipotcrit and frankly i hope he was the one who went down on the TITANIC

    krazy kagu (a97175)

  2. Evidently some real lawyers did not like sharing those fees eh?

    TC (1cf350)

  3. Sharing fees? That is like asking 2 pitbulls to share a piece of raw meat.

    We have had some judges appoint an adlitem attorney for unknown and unborn heirs to satisfy their future inheritance interest legally.

    Now is that possible an attorney getting paid for a future unborn?

    They do not intend to seek nor find these unknown or unborn so how will he held accountable?

    There must be some money or there would be nothing for the unknown/unborn heirs to inherit.

    Elle (59056b)


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