Disbarred lawyer charged with stealing $24,000 from home buyer

CLIFFVIEW PILOT HAS IT FIRST: A disbarred Dumont attorney has been criminally charged for keeping $24,000 down payment that a client gave him on a property purchase that fell through.

Michael Gidro

(MUGSHOT: Bergen County Prosecutor's Office)

Detectives built their case after the New Jersey Office of Attorney Ethics notified them that Michael Gidro was disbarred from practicing law in New Jersey last August "because of a misappropriation of funds given to him from a client that he ultimately used for his personal use," Prosecutor John L. Molinelli said today.

The victim gave Gidro $24,000 as a down payment on the $240,000 house, the prosecutor said.

After depositing the money into an attorney trust account, Gidro tapped into it for himself, first withdrawing $21,542 that he used to pay his state income tax, Molinelli said.

Gidro, 53, lifted another $1,200 a month later before pulling out the remaining $1,950, "thus depleting the account," the prosecutor said. "The sale of the home to the victim never took place and the contract was ultimately cancelled."

Despite several attempts, the victim couldn't get Gidro to return his calls, much less his money, Molinelli said.

Gidro was released without bail on theft and other related charges.

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