Client was charged with engaging in loan sharking by lending money to the complaining witness, who was a gambling addict, at a rate above the legal limit. In addition, the client was charged with threatening and intimidating the complaining witness to get him to repay the loan. Sullivan & Brill, LLP conducted its own investigation and found that the client had indeed loaned the complaining witness money but never charged him with an illegal interest rate. Sullivan & Brill, LLP claimed that the complaining witness fabricated the usury-loan sharking story to avoid having to pay his debts. A plea was negotiated where the Richmond County District Attorney's Office reduced the felony counts to a misdemeanor and agreed to offer straight probation with no jail sentence.