Wading River Attorney Accused Of Stealing $855K+ From Clients, Others: DA

WADING RIVER, NY — A Wading River attorney was indicted after stealing more than $855,000 from his clients and others, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said.

Peter Giattino, 43, was indicted on charges including second-degree grand larceny; he was the principal attorney at PVG Legal Solutions, PLLC, Tierney said.

According to the investigation, in October 2023, Giattino reportedly received $4,500 from a client to pursue the recovery of funds from a car dealership related to a damaged vehicle, the DA said.

Giattino promised to recover "lots of money" for the client but then became unresponsive to her after receiving her payment, Tierney said.

Giattino is accused of having done no work on the case and failing to return the client’s money after repeated requests to do so, Tierney said.

In September 2024, Giattino, during the course of his representation of the seller in a real estate transaction, received a buyer’s down payment for a residential property, totaling $94,000, the DA said.

Instead of holding that money in escrow until the real estate closing, Giattino reportedly unlawfully spent the funds on gambling expenses and cash withdrawals, police said.

In October 2024, Giattino was hired to represent a client in regard to a traffic violation, the DA said.

Giattino indicated he would take the case on pro bono — with no payment required for his services — basis, and requested $480 to pay the fine on the traffic ticket, Tierney said.

However, instead of paying the fine, Giattino reportedly used the money for personal expenses and never notified the client that her ticket was unresolved, the DA said.

Then, in June 2025, a client paid Giattino $4,450 to assist in a real estate deed transfer; after receiving this money, Giattino became unresponsive to the client’s request for status updates and failed to appear for multiple in-person appointments, the DA said.

Giattino also failed to return the client’s legal documents and unlawfully kept the $4,450, Tierney said.

In June 2025, Giattino was hired to represent a client in the purchase of a Southampton home, the DA said.

On June 13, 2025, the buyer sent $751,687.71 via wire transfer to Giattino, Tierney said.

Upon receiving these funds, Giattino began withdrawing the buyer's money through official bank checks, ATM transactions, and cash withdrawals, Tierney said.

Giattino also reportedly spent a portion of the buyer's money at local and out-of-state casinos, the DA said.

After Giattino caused the real estate closing to be unnecessarily canceled, the buyer hired new counsel to represent him in the real estate transaction and repeatedly requested that his money be transferred to his new attorney, the DA said.

Giattino failed to return the buyer's money because, by October 2025, he had already spent all of it on unauthorized personal and gambling expenses, the DA said.

In total, between October 2023 and October 2025, Giattino is accused of having stolen $855,480 from his own clients and others, the DA said.

On Wednesday, Giattino was arraigned before Justice Steven A. Pilewski on charges including two counts of second-degree grand larceny, Class C felonies; two counts of third-degree grand larceny, Class D felonies; one count of first-degree scheme to defraud, a Class E felony; and one count of petty larceny, a Class A misdemeanor, Tierney said.

Giattino was released on his own recognizance because under current New York State law, these crimes are deemed non-bail eligible, the DA said.

Giattino is due back in court on September 25 and faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted of the top count, Tierney said.

He is being represented by George Duncan, who was not immediately available for comment.

"This defendant allegedly exploited his position as a local attorney and diverted funds that rightfully belonged to individuals relying on him for professional integrity and fiduciary responsibility," Tierney said. "We will continue to aggressively prosecute this case to deliver justice for the victims and to send a clear message that those who abuse their legal authority for personal gain will be held fully accountable under the law."

Those who believe they may have been victimized by Peter Giattino are asked to call the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office at 631-853-4626.