A 66-year-old man suspected of impersonating an attorney at a Riverside courthouse during court proceedings has been taken into custody, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday.
Deputies began an investigation last Wednesday into Erik Porras Rivera of Upland after receiving allegations that he was collecting retainer fees from clients while falsely claiming to be a licensed attorney, authorities said.
“The suspect was determined to have represented himself as an actual attorney who practices law in Orange County,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
Deputies executed a search warrant in the 200 block of West Ninth Street in Upland, where Rivera was located. He was then taken into custody and booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center on suspicion of false impersonation, theft by false pretenses, burglary and practicing law without a license.
Investigators believe there may be additional victims and have released a photo of Rivera to encourage those individuals to come forward.
Anyone with additional information regarding the case was urged to call Sergeant Bodnar at 951-776-1099 or the Sheriff’s Court Service Division at 951-955-2420.