There is something to be said for “Fake it ’til you make it” energy. I feel like in the early days of my searching for a full-time job in journalism, I can admit a bit of that was going on. Although I had the schooling, I didn’t have the real-world experience. When I finally landed a job, I rolled with whatever they threw at me. “Sure, I can cover that live event!” “No problem, I can edit video!” Had I done those things before? No, but hey, that’s the beauty of faking it until you make it when building a career.
Of course, there is a limit to how much you can pull that off. I could never have the audacity to pretend I could do the job of an electrician or an accountant just because I’ve changed a lightbulb or calculated the tip for a dinner bill in my head. There are people, however, who are brazen enough to build an entire fake career …
Cenia Delpozo, 38, posed as an attorney for years, taking money from clients for ‘legal services.’
The Las Vegas woman forged the signature of multiple judges and created fake documents for divorcing couples and prospective parents adopting children, Law & Crime reported. Delpozo originally faced a litany of felony charges but reached a plea deal with prosecutors. She opted to plead guilty to forgery and theft charges on the grounds she serves between five and 15 years in prison, according to KLAS.
Though she never earned the certifications required to be a legitimate practicing lawyer, she did previously work as a paralegal.
Delpozo once reportedly charged a couple $1,500 in legal fees for divorce paperwork, forging the judge’s signature.
When she was contacted by one of the parties for a copy of their paperwork, she allegedly bristled and told them she had “done this for 16 years,” KLAS reported. When another party inquired about the status of a name change and why it didn’t go through, Delpozo blamed it on the judge and claimed she committed suicide. In addition to that, she took hundreds of dollars of legal fees for reviewing documents and even submitted fake adoption documents in court.
She also conned a coworker into loaning her nearly $16,000 to cover medical expenses for her ill father.
Instead, however, she allegedly spent the funds on a vacation to a musical festival in California with her husband, a Las Vegas Metro police officer, and friends. Though Delpozo promised to pay her back, she instead created fraudulent emails from Chase Bank, according to KLAS.
Delpozo, who was referred to as “Poulsen,” at one point worked for Goldberg Injury Law and allegedly stole more than $7,300 with a company credit card by way of creating fraudulent invoices. She texted attorney Katie Golberg saying, “I’m so sorry Katy and I’m so embarrassed.”
She will remain behind bars without bail until her sentencing hearing, which is set for June 1. Ironically, Delpozo allegedly refused to have an attorney present during questioning.
