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NJ Law Firm Manager Allegedly Traded Sex for Legal Services

By Jonathan R. Tung, Esq. on January 29, 2016 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

According to NJ.com, a prominent law firm's manager exchanged sex from both male and female clients for the firm's services. A complaint filed in Camden County Superior Court last December against the Law Offices of Conrad J. Benedetto alleges the firm manager John Groff (also a convicted felon) manipulated clients and exchanged legal services for sex.

An exchange of service for service, one could say.

Quid Pro Quo

The Law Offices of Conrad J. Benedetto had been managed by John Groff, a convicted felon. According to the complaint, Groff reached out to a Javier Castillo on Facebook, asking about Castillo's criminal charges, which related to a violation of probation. Castillo had earlier threatened his girlfriend and committed revenge porn against her. Castillo had been on the run and was on the verge of turning himself in. Groff told him to do no such thing.

Instead, Groff allegedly manipulated Javier into becoming the firm's client with the promise of keeping him out of jail. The price? Sex with him and his girlfriend. Somewhere along the line, Groff and Carrasquillo exchanged photographs of their genitals, Anthony Weiner style.

Long Criminal History

Groff has not been named as a defendant in the case. Instead, his employer, the Law Offices of Conrad J. Bennedetto, will bear the full brunt of this legal debacle. According to NJ.com, Groff's rap sheet reaches as far back as 1992 and includes convictions for passing bad checks, theft, and insurance fraud.

Due to his criminal history, the argument is that any attorney in Benedetto's place would have reasonably concluded that a person with Groff's past would not be the ideal choice as a law firm manager. As NJ.com reports, the law firm representing Castillo has stated: "[W]e expect attorneys to know what's going on in their firm and would be negligence on the part of Mr. Benedetto if arrangements for representation are made on the basis of sexuality(sic) activity."

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