Bill > S04741

This bill restructures the legal framework for schemes to defraud by creating a more nuanced classification system with five distinct degrees of fraud, ranging from a misdemeanor to a felony. The degrees are determined by factors such as the number of victims, the total value of property obtained, and whether vulnerable elderly persons are targeted. The bill establishes new sections in the penal law (190.60, 190.62, 190.64, 190.66, and 190.68) that progressively criminalize fraud based on increasing scales of harm, with penalties escalating from a class A misdemeanor for defrauding more than one person to a class B felony for defrauding one thousand or more persons or obtaining property exceeding one million dollars. Additionally, the bill introduces a new article (Article 243) that creates two new crimes related to harassment of legal services clients: harassment in the second degree (a misdemeanor) involves withholding client documents or unused retainer funds, while harassment in the first degree (a felony) involves threatening to reveal confidential client information. The legislative intent emphasizes protecting clients from fraudulent and unethical practices, particularly by legal professionals, and aims to strengthen accountability and transparency in legal services.

Housing and Urban Affairs

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S4741