(The following story by Phil Ray appeared on the Altoona Mirror website on August 8.)
HOLLIDAYSBURG, Pa. — A former Philadelphia lawyer who also practiced in Blair County for many years has been charged with stealing almost $200,000 from four local railroad workers.
Robert Kosseff, whose address is listed as 774 S. Front St., Philadelphia, had an office on Allegheny Street in Hollidaysburg, and according to several legal complaints, he represented railroad workers.
Kosseff, who was disbarred from practicing law 21 months ago, was charged in April with keeping an advance he obtained on a settlement for a track supervisor injured while working at the Everett Railroad. He has been free on bond since.
Blair County Chief Deputy District Attorney Wade Kagarise said the publicity surrounding the initial prosecution brought calls from individuals who claimed Kosseff also owed them money.
Four new charges were filed Wednesday in Magisterial District Judge Paula Aigner’s Hollidaysburg office involving settlements with Norfolk Southern Corp. totaling $270,000.
Kosseff is charged with four counts of theft by unlawful disposition of funds and receiving stolen property. No preliminary hearing date has been set.
Of those settlements, the workers agreed to deduct more than $27,000 to repay the railroad retirement board and more than $30,000 in sickness benefits they received.
The total net payment from the railroad to the workers was more than $211,000.
Kosseff made sporadic payments of a few hundred dollars to each worker, then stopped paying entirely, according to court papers, which show that Kosseff owes $195,198 to the workers.
Kosseff was not available for comment Wednesday. He has an unlisted telephone number.
According to court documents, on Jan. 5, 2005, David Dinges agreed to sign a release with Norfolk Southern concerning a civil lawsuit.
The agreement called for Dinges to receive $30,000, minus $5,829 for the railroad retirement board and $8,968 for a supplemental sickness benefit.
As a result, Dinges was to receive $15,133. He received four checks from Kosseff totaling $1,300 and is owed $13,833, according to police documents.
The largest settlement of the four involved employee Gerald Snyder, who was to receive a gross settlement amount of $130,000. A railroad retirement payment of $5,970 was to be deducted, and Kosseff forwarded $5,550 of the remaining $124,029 owed to Snyder.
James K. Klausman’s gross settlement was $40,000 with the net payment after deductions to be $16,052. He received $1,100 from Kosseff, police charged.
Charles Hogan was to get $70,000 as a settlement, with the net payment being $56,472. His payments from Kosseff have added up to $8,538, police said.
The figures don’t include any attorney fees that Kosseff to which may have been entitled.
Kagarise said Kosseff is about six months away from trial on the initial charge filed in April.