Criminal Steals Attorney's Identity

LEWISTOWN, Pennsylvania (AP)—A man with a criminal record masqueraded as an attorney for months after stealing the identify of a lawyer with the same name, authorities said.

Jeffrey P. Riddell, 40, of Hershey, has never held a law license in Pennsylvania, but claimed to be another attorney with the same first and last names, authorities said. At the time, the real attorney was living in Russia.

Riddell was jailed Tuesday and faces a charge of unauthorized practice of law. Prosecutor Stephen S. Snook said he also hopes to file identity theft charges.

Snook's suspicions started when he got a letter from Riddell on behalf of a defendant in a drug case in March. Written on the lawyer's stationary, the letter was threatening and "goofy,'' he said. "The letter was just not what you would expect an attorney to write,'' Snook said.

He ended up getting more letters from Riddell and almost daily phone calls. Then, when he saw Riddell at a hearing, Snook said he started getting very suspicious.

Snook and police believe Riddell assumed the identity of attorney Jeffrey A. Riddell after he had left the country and deactivated his law license with the state.

"Maybe he Googled his own name one time,'' Snook said. "Somehow he knew about him.''

Jeffrey P. Riddell was being held on $50,000 bail. Snook said Riddell planned to represent himself in court.