Manhattan attorney Adam M. Wright was disbarred yesterday by the Appellate Division, First Department, as a result of pleading guilty to immigration fraud in federal court. Wright pleaded guilty in the Southern District on Jan. 12, 2012, to aiding and abetting others in making false statements on immigration applications, a class C felony. He was sentenced to 18 months probation, with the first four months in home confinement, 500 hours of community service, a $10,000 fine, and $7,200 forfeiture. He admitted that he helped his clients file applications including false addresses that suggested they were married.
The First Department ruled that Wright must be disbarred because his federal felony is equivalent to the New York felony of offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree, requiring automatic disbarment. Wright did not contest the Departmental Disciplinary Committee's motion to disbar him. Justices Angela Mazzarelli (See Profile), Richard Andrias (See Profile), John Sweeny, Jr. (See Profile), Karla Moskowitz (See Profile) and Dianne Renwick (See Profile) sat on the panel in In the Matter of Wright, 5578.
