CORRECTION APPENDED

A 26-year-old Florida resident who claimed to be a Harvard Law School graduate was arrested earlier this month for practicing law without a license.

Charles J. Brady, who has no college or law school degree, allegedly conned acquaintances out of at least $50,000 by misrepresenting himself as a member of the Florida Bar, according to court documents. [SEE CORRECTION BELOW]

Brady, who was out on bail after being arrested for grand theft and forgery this summer, is charged with six counts of unlicensed practice of law and one count of fraud.

According to the police, Brady convinced wealthy friends that he was an attorney specializing in land use and zoning. He allegedly forged a document to fulfill a legal service for which he was paid a retainer fee of $14,000.

In addition, Brady persuaded a mortgage broker to add him to his American Express Black Card, an exclusive charge card, according to court documents. Brady then proceeded to charge more than $18,000 to the card.

David H. Schulson, a Broward County assistant state attorney, likened Brady’s story to that of Frank Abagnale, who was depicted by Leonardo DiCaprio in the 2002 film “Catch Me If You Can.”

“He just smiles and he’s very articulate,” Schulson said. “[His victims] had no clue that he was anything but the attorney and Harvard Law grad that he purported to be.”

Police who investigated Brady said that he often wore Harvard apparel and had a Harvard sticker on his car.

Lawrence W. Livoti, Brady’s defense attorney, said in an interview that his client had never claimed to be a graduate of the Law School. Brady is currently taking courses at the Harvard Extension School, Livoti said. [SEE CORRECTION BELOW]

Brady attended several meetings of the Harvard Republican Club and Harvard Right to Life last year, according to Harvard undergraduates contacted by The Crimson.

“I had a suspicion he was a shady character,” said Jeffrey Kwong ’09, the president of both organizations.

Kwong said Brady told the Republican Club members that he was pursuing a master’s degree in economics at Harvard. Harvard does not offer such a program.

Last year, Brady donated $250 to a Harvard anti-abortion group after attending several meetings, Kwong said.

On Saturday, a day after an interview with a Crimson reporter, Kwong announced that the club would donate the money to pregnancy crisis centers in Boston. He had previously said that the club was “willing to cooperate in any investigation that is happening.”

Schulson, the Florida prosecutor, said that even though the money donated to the student organization may not have been lawfully obtained, the club “would not get in trouble for that.”

Stephen E. Dewey ’07-’08, a former president of the Harvard Republican Club, said Brady “gave off a weird vibe.” Dewey said he was considering working with Brady on a business venture last year when a friend told him to investigate Brady’s credentials.

Dewey said he checked with the registrars at the College and Law School before finally finding a record of Brady as a student at the Extension School.

“I was really sketched out,” Dewey said. “He seemed like a nice guy, but then you realized that his whole life was just a house of cards.”

Detective John Calabro of the Broward Sheriff’s Office, who has been investigating Brady for about a year, said his behavior showed a pattern of disrespect for the law.

“This guy must be a heck of a con artist to take all of these people,” Calabro said. “He just never stops, even after being arrested.”

Brady could not be reached for comment.

CORRECTION

The Nov. 26 news article "Faux HLS Grad Faces Fla. Fraud Charges" omitted the first name of Robert Charles J. Brady. The article also incorrectly stated that Brady is currently taking classes at the Harvard Extension School; he has taken classes at the Extension School in the past, but is not currently enrolled in any. Charles J. Brady, a current Extension School student, is unrelated to the story.