Former attorney enters guilty plea to felony

NEWS RELEASE
OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY
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Emily Cohen, a former attorney, entered a guilty plea and accepted responsibility for stealing from her former clients. This guilty plea brings finality to an egregious case that had been pending for several years.

In 2014, a jury found the defendant guilty following a trial for thefts and frauds that she committed against her clients, including immigrants seeking legal counsel. Following the conviction, Ms. Cohen completed a sentence to state prison. However, the Colorado Court of Appeals subsequently overturned the convictions in 2019. Based on the nature of her conduct, the District Attorney’s Office committed to bringing the case to trial again so that her criminal record would accurately reflect her felony conduct against her clients and the community.

The District Attorney’s Office answered ready for the re-trial earlier this week. The trial had been set for ten (10) days. Ms. Cohen was charged with stealing more than $40,000 in legal fees from former clients. Rather than proceed to trial, Ms. Cohen decided to plead guilty to one count of Theft, a Class 5 felony. All her victims were included in the guilty plea to that count. Because Ms. Cohen had already served a six-year sentence in the Department of Corrections as a result of the original conviction for her conduct, the People agreed that her sentence had already been completed.

Senior Deputy District Attorneys Anne Kelly and Michelle Sudano stated, “Ms. Cohen defrauded many of the most vulnerable members of our community, those navigating residency in Colorado without citizenship status. After a long road, the victims in this case finally have permanent justice and can put behind them an incredibly stressful and overwhelming period in their lives. We commend the victims for their continued bravery and perseverance throughout this challenging case.”

District Attorney Michael Dougherty stated, “This felony conviction represents justice for the victims. Our office will continue to fight for the most vulnerable to scams and fraud, including members of our immigrant community. Her clients had gone to Ms. Cohen for legal help and, instead, had their money and trust stolen by this defendant. I want to acknowledge former District Attorney Stan Garnett and his team for taking on this case and their unerring commitment to the victims and community impacted by this defendant’s shameful conduct.”

Ms. Cohen remains charged with criminal offenses for Attempt to Influence a Public Servant (three counts) and Forgery (three counts). Based on the Arrest Warrant on this new case, Ms. Cohen had been extradited to Colorado. Over the objection of the District Attorney’s Office. the judge reduced the bond on this new case from a $100,000 secured bond to a $100,000 personal recognizance bond. As a result, Ms. Cohen was released into the community. She is scheduled to appear in Court on January 24, 2022 at 1:30 p.m.

*The charge is merely an accusation and she is presumed innocent on the new case unless and until proven guilty.