Miami Lakes Man Accused of Posing as Lawyer, Stealing Thousands From ‘Clients’ – NBC 6 South Florida

A Miami Lakes man who posed as an attorney and collected legal fees from at least two “clients” has been arrested for practicing law without a license, authorities said.

Ian Medina, 28, was arrested Saturday following an investigation by the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office.

In addition to the practicing law without a license charge, he faces charges of organized scheme to defraud, grand theft, and making a false statement to department of state, according to an arrest warrant.

Miami-Dade Corrections

The investigation into Medina began after the Florida Bar received complaints that he was misrepresenting himself as an attorney and taking money for legal services he never performed, the warrant said.

Investigators found Medina had a counterfeit Florida Bar Card on his LinkedIn profile with a number that belonged to a different attorney, the warrant said.

But authorities said Medina wasn’t a member of a bar and wasn’t licensed to practice law in Florida.

The warrant said Medina “knowingly and fraudulently misrepresented himself as a lawyer and took money from people for legal services that he never provided and submitted corporate documents to the Florida Department of State where he falsely identified himself as an attorney.”

One victim hired Medina for a personal injury matter in 2021, and paid him $3,500 for legal services he never provided, the warrant said.

Medina had the man use the Square payment app to send money, but after getting the money, Medina provided no services and stopped all communication, the warrant said.

A woman also hired Medina to help with elder law matters for her father, and paid him $750 through Zelle, the warrant said.

After receiving her money, Medina became unresponsive to the woman’s phone calls and messages, the warrant said.

Both alleged victims contacted the Florida Bar to complain, and after the complaints, Medina allegedly sent a threatening text message to the woman, the warrant said.

“You will die today b—h,” the message read. “Love, your attorney.”

A records search found Medina had also formed multiple businesses where he misrepresented himself as an attorney, the warrant said.

Medina was booked into jail and later released on bond.

Medina is the half-brother of Derek Medina, who was sentenced to life in prison after he shot his wife and posted a photo of her corpse on Facebook, the Miami Herald reported.

Derek Medina was convicted by a jury in 2013 in the shooting death of Jennifer Alfonso during an argument in the kitchen of their home. Trial evidence showed that when Derek Medina posted an image of her body on Facebook, he wrote that he’d either go to prison or get a death sentence and would be “in the news” soon.