Camden Courier-Post – March 25, 1930
Year in Prison Withdrawn Because Lawyer Has Made Restitution
After he had changed his pleas of not guilty to non vult Charles F. Squillace, former Camden attorney, was given one year in state prison by Judge Samuel M. Shay yesterday afternoon and then the sentence was suspended.
Squillace was charged with embezzlement, larceny as bailee and issuing a worthless check. He had been a fugitive from justice six years. The court suspended sentence after it was announced he had made restitution to former clients.
When he went into court yesterday Squillace entered pleas of not guilty to five indictments through his attorney, Carl Kisselman.
Squillace said he would have pleaded non vult at the morning session if he could have reached an agreement with a former client, Mrs. Marie Fanelli, West Berlin. He passed a worthless check for $600 on her and she demanded six years interest through her attorney, Francis G. Homan. A compromise was affected.
Fugitive Since 1923
A fugitive from justice since the December, 1923; grand jury returned nine true bills against him, Squillace was arrested in Washington, D. C., last July by County Detective Fiore Troncone, who found him and his wife operating a beauty shop.
Squillace is said to have readily admitted his guilt and agreed to return to this city and face the consequences. He was released in $3500 bail on August 3, 1929, his bond being signed by Ralph Cavallo of Kaighn Avenue near Third Street.
During the time that Squillace has been at liberty, his lawyers declare he has been making weekly payments on the total $2865 which he is charged with diverting from funds clients entrusted to him for real estate transactions in 1922 and 1923.
Rather than face disbarment proceedings, Squillace resigned as a member of the Camden County Bar Association shortly before he hastily left Camden after discovering that he could not repay the money which he had received and used in several personal real estate deals.
The indictments for larceny as bailee, his accusers and amounts involved, are: Frank Canola, $800; Mrs. Marie Fannelli, $600; Albert Covitto, $245; Antonio Di Maio, $350; Angelina Palaia, $600; Aorozio Martines, $125, and Nick Monocchio, $100.
The embezzlement true bill was returned against Squillace at the instance of Canola, who charged him with swindling him out of $45.
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