Also posed as a former footballer and ex-Marine
A disbarred US lawyer who falsely claimed to have worked at top law firm Kirkland & Ellis has been sentenced to more than three years in prison after using a string of fake identities in a bid to secure high-paying legal jobs across the country.
Richard Louis Crosby III, 37, from Ohio, posed as “Richard Williams” and told law firm recruiters he had previously worked at Kirkland & Ellis during a July 2023 interview. When pressed to provide verification of his former colleagues at the elite outfit, he quickly withdrew his application.
This was one chapter in a multi-year scheme that saw Crosby assume false identities — including those of a deceased man, his elderly father, and his girlfriend — to obtain roles at seven law firms, despite being disbarred in Ohio and facing criminal charges concerning “stealing client funds”, according to the US Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Ohio.
According to court filings, Crosby created fake email addresses, forged documentation, and doctored a screenshot of a bar membership directory to support his claims of being licensed attorney.
In total, Crosby secured multiple six-figure legal roles across Washington, California, Florida, and Michigan under the alias Richard Williams.
In September 2023, just a month before his arrest on federal charges, Crosby applied for a position at a California law firm using another alias. He falsely claimed to have played football for the University of Michigan and served as a US Marine. The firm hired him with a $250,000 (£193,000) annual salary, unaware that he had submitted the Social Security number of a deceased North Carolina man in his tax paperwork.
His actions began to unravel in April 2023 when one of his employers was contacted by a child support investigator, revealing Crosby’s real identity. He was subsequently fired and later arrested on federal charges.
Last week, a US judge sentenced Crosby to 37 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay nearly $171,000 (£132,000) in compensation and complete 300 hours of community service.
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