Archinect - News

Fake architect convicted after false claims on LinkedIn

2020-01-07T11:40:00-05:00

According to Architect's Journal (AJ), a Watford man has received seven convictions after falsely describing himself as an architect on LinkedIn and with Companies House, the Uk's registrar of companies. Sohail Chohan, the convicted man, who pleaded guilty, told AJ that his son set up his LinkedIn profile and website and that he had never seen them before.

Ultimately, Chohan was given leeway by the judge due to his early guilty and financial situation, reports AJ. "They understood I was an idiot and were as lenient as they could be," Chohan said to AJ.

Two California fake civil engineers face up to 257 years in prison

2018-03-20T14:27:00-04:00

Two men were hit with 487 counts on Wednesday in a complaint alleging they spent years running a scam that has potentially left hundreds of homeowners across Southern California with homes that may not be structurally sound. [...] Huntington Beach resident Ruben Gutierrez, 43, and 46-year-old Wilfrido Rodriguez of Downey each face numerous counts of forgery, identity theft and grand theft in a scheme involving falsified documents and fraudulent engineering services [...].

"Rodriguez was an engineering drafter and Gutierrez was an architectural designer at Palos Verdes Engineering. Neither Rodriguez nor Gutierrez were licensed architects or civil engineers," a news release published by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said.

"Investigators estimate that there were more than 700 residential and commercial properties where fraud allegedly occurred in more than 50 cities in Southern California. If convicted as charged, Rodriguez faces up to 152 years in state prison, while Gutierrez faces a possible maximum sentence of 105 years in prison."

The prison sentences Rodriguez and Gutierrez may face are far more drastic than the 2 1/3-7 years NY State's Paul J. Newman—another highly prominent case of a fake architect—received in the fall of last year.

Catch Me If You Can: NY State's fake architect sentenced to 2 1/3-7 years in state prison

2017-09-05T20:21:00-04:00

Paul J. Newman, 49, was discovered back in April to have been practicing as an architect despite lacking both a license and registration. The investigation, dubbed "Operation Vandelay Industries," found that Newman, stealing the license number of a registered architect and forging a NY State Registered Architecture Stamp, had drafted architectural renderings for over 100 properties, as well as foundation inspections, field reports, energy compliance certificates and engineer letters.

The suspect was then arrested on three indictments charging him with 58 felonies related to his unauthorized practice of architecture, forgery, and submission of documents to various municipalities. In June, he entered felony guilt pleas in all three counties—Albany, Rensselaer, and Saratoga—to a total of six felony counts, including Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class D felony; Forgery in the Second Degree, a class D felony; Unauthorized Practice of a Profession, a class E felony; and Scheme t...

New York Man Found Guilty of Pretending to be an Architect, Faces up to 7 Years in State Prison and $155K in Restitution

2017-06-19T12:08:00-04:00

Back in April, we reported that Paul J. Newman, 49, was charged in three counties with pretending to be an architect. The man was neither registered nor licensed, yet worked on numerous housing projects in the Capital Region. Caught in an investigation dubbed “Operation Vandelay Industries,” Newman was accused of drafting architectural renderings for over 100 projects, as well as foundation inspections, field reports, engineer letters, and energy compliance certificates.

Now, Newman has entered felony guilt pleas in all thee counties. He will be sentenced anywhere from 2 1/3 to 7 years in state prison. He will also have to pay over $155K in restitution.

“Throughout the course of his fraudulent career, the defendant repeatedly demonstrated a disregard for the public safety of New Yorkers and a determination to cheat the system,” said Attorney General Schneiderman. “The state law is clear – no license, no architectural work for you. No one is above that standard.”

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