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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowRodney P. Sniadecki, the disbarred sole practitioner from South Bend who was found guilty in September of three counts of forgery, received a suspended sentence and probation Wednesday.
Magistrate Larry Ambler sentenced Sniadecki, 47, to four years in the Department of Correction on each forgery count, with the sentences to run concurrently. But Ambler suspended the entire sentence and ordered Sniadecki serve two years non-reporting probation.
The state argued the former attorney serve a period of incarceration as part of his sentence.
Sniadecki was indicted in May on three counts of Class C felony forgery and a jury found him guilty as charged Sept. 25. The indictment said that on Nov. 27, 2007, Sniadecki, with the intent to defraud, created an appearance form, minute entry and waiver of extradition on behalf of Michael DeMeester that bore a signature purporting to have been made by Michael Wandling.
On Dec. 5, 2007, Sniadecki allegedly made a guardianship information form and petition of appointment for a temporary guardian for a minor bearing a signature purported to have been made by Angela Russo.
Count III alleged that on April 21 and 30, 2008, Sniadecki made U.S. income tax return documents on behalf of St. Joseph Valley Mortgage Corp. or Caterina M. Sergio in such a manner that the instruments purported to have been made at another time.
Sniadecki was disbarred in 2010 for violating the terms of a previous suspension, entering into an improper business transaction with a client and engaging in dishonest conduct by falsifying loan documents when trying to get a loan to repay the client through mortgages on his law offices.
He was suspended in 2007 for having a sexual relationship with a client and initially lying to the commission about when it started; for hiring a suspended attorney to perform administrative, secretarial, and paralegal duties; and for representing a wife in a divorce action while still representing the wife and husband in a joint bankruptcy petition.
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