Law360, Dallas (September 2, 2015, 7:51 PM ET) — A former client sued a Houston attorney in state court Wednesday, claiming the lawyer stole its money and faked a real estate transaction to pocket a purported loan, and that when confronted, promised restitution that hasn’t come.
In a Harris County District Court suit, Texicali Ltd., a family partnership, accuses James C. Mulder of Mulder Law Group PC of fraud, theft, misapplication of fiduciary property and forgery, by bilking them out of $300,000 the family intended to invest in legitimate ventures. The partnership says Mulder admitted he had taken money from a client trust account when his law firm suffered financial setbacks, but that the attorney hasn’t lived up to his promises he would return the money and that he concealed the faked real estate deal.
“Mulder’s crimes are now catching up to him,” Texicali said in the suit. “He has been caught red-handed … but Mulder apparently still hopes (against hope) that he will get away with it.”
Mulder did not immediately respond to request for comment on the suit Wednesday.