Dec 15, 2008 5:56 pm US/Central
Alleged Phony Lawyer Back In Court
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) ―
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Authorities say Kieffer has worked on federal cases in at least ten states even though he has no law degree. (File)
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A Minnesota man accused of impersonating a lawyer is scheduled to be arraigned in federal court later this week after the government updated the indictment against him.
Howard O. Kieffer, 53, who lives in Duluth, Minn., is charged with mail fraud and false statements. Authorities say Kieffer has worked on federal cases in at least 10 states, but North Dakota is the first state to charge him.
Federal prosecutors say the charges will remain the same against Kieffer. The updated indictment includes more details, including money paid to some of Kieffer's clients.
Tim Purdon, an attorney for Kieffer, had no comment on the new filing. A hearing is scheduled in Bismarck on Friday.
Kieffer's attorneys had filed a motion early this month to dismiss the original indictment, claiming there was no "plain, concise and definite written statement" of the charges.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Dave Peterson said the updated indictment should make the defense motion moot.
The updated indictment says Kieffer never graduated from a law school and never was properly admitted to practice law in federal court. The government alleges he falsely represented himself to gain admission to the federal bar in North Dakota, then used those credentials to earn approval in Minnesota, Colorado and Missouri.
The federal complaint lists five clients who paid Kieffer a total of $157,000, including $50,000 from Gwen Bergman, a Colorado woman who was found guilty of hiring someone to try and kill her former husband. Bergman has filed a civil lawsuit against Kieffer seeking $70,000 she allegedly paid in attorney fees and $100,000 for fraud, misrepresentation and extortion.
Kieffer's trial is scheduled for Jan. 6. A federal magistrate judge ordered Kieffer to home confinement earlier this month for violating conditions of his release pending trial by continuing to represent himself to clients as a lawyer.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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