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Fake Architect Gets Busted, Will Go to Prison

Paul J. Newman was the architect of his own destruction

By Rain Noe - September 8, 2017

in Architecture | Design News

Professional designers: Has anyone ever asked to see your degree? Probably not, because if you've got a portfolio and you say you're an industrial designer, or an architect, that's good enough for most people. Because who would have the balls to fake it?

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Paul J. Newman, that's who. Incredibly, the upstate New York man has been masquerading as an architect for nearly a decade, having stolen the license number of a registered architect and forging a New York State registration. But now the New York Attorney General's office has caught up to him, prosecuted him and sentenced him this week to prison.

How Could This have Possibly Happened?

How does someone fake being an architect? Well, let's look at the facts. An upstate New York newspaper reports that "Newman allegedly drafted architectural renderings for more than 100 properties in the three counties, including multiple large housing projects." If we're talking just renderings, it's entirely possible a determined layperson could pull that off. The problem is that he "also allegedly submitted foundation inspections, field reports, energy compliance certificates and engineer letters to various towns and cities falsely certifying he was a properly licensed architect, [Attorney General] Schneiderman's office said." That requires more expertise.

Newman's LinkedIn page lists him as the owner of Cohesion Studios (whose website is now, unsurprisingly, down) and the business is described as a "3D visualization solutions" company. It's possible that Newman basically ran an architectural renderings firm for years, and by working with actual architects, somehow gained enough experience to fake his way through the technicalities, then started calling himself an architect at some point. (That's just our guess, we have no proof of that.)

The Outcome

This week Newman was sentenced to prison, for the vague term of 28 months to seven years. And there's more time on the way; this week's sentence was for the charges he faces in Saratoga County, but he has yet to be sentenced for the other projects he undertook in nearby Albany and Renssalear Counties.

Thus far Newman's been found guilty of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class D felony; Forgery in the Second Degree, a class D felony; Unauthorized Practice of a Profession, a class E felony; and Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree, a class E felony.

The AG's Office has a Seinfeldian Sense of Humor

Never mind that his name is Newman; the sting operation that netted him was called "Operation Vandelay Industries." We're not making that up, you can read about it here.

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Ray Jepson

7 years ago

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Here is a project he did: http://bit.ly/2w0Gs7y

It appears he understood symmetry, which is more than most builders do.

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Border Fox

7 years ago

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He sounds like one of those Ideo T-shaped people..... full of crap!

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Ray Jepson

7 years ago

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More Newman originals: http://bit.ly/2wUvrlt

Maybe this architecture thing isn't that hard?

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Charles Gordon

7 years ago

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Sounds like he was a "real" architect - but got very creative with the regulations. Did he otherwise do good work and charge fairly? I bet there is more to this story.

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Sam Ettinger

7 years ago

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The third NY county is "Rensselaer," not "Renssalear." It's famously hard to spell!

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Eric Strebel

7 years ago

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Interestingly there is no professional certification or accreditation for being an Industrial Designer. You get a degree, and thats it. Most Industrial designers don't even have B.I.D's, most have a BFA. It's whatever the school hands out. It's got it's plusses and minuses of course. Now the culprit here is the ability to draw think sketch and actually design something. Curiously I happen to actually have an associated degree in Architecture. I am not a licensed architect but I understand the basics, and what goes into designing a structure that has structural and safety implications. That is the main reason you need to be licensed as an architect since some sort of public safety is at stake. Curiously no such thing exists for designers. Your safely is also not usually at risk when you sit in a chair or use a mobile device to text your friends or enemies.

I assume that Newman could not design himself out of a paper bag, much less sketch or hand render or design anything. I assume you are correct Rain, he used a computer for that. That doesn't take a a degree and can be faked easily.

I also find it odd that you would fake such a profession as it's not all that thrilling to be an architect. I can see why you would fake being a pilot, but and Architect? makes no sense. Oh well, to each his own.

Also, never has anyone ever asked me to see my degree! I am not even sure where the piece of paper actually is, LOL

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- Jay Davis
  
  Eric Strebel
  
  7 years ago
  
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  You really only need a diploma to make it through HR. There aren't any licenses. Any product you make is going to go through the testing by other people.
  
  or better yet.
  
  If I get the funding, you don't need to be an Industrial Designer on paper to design and sell a product.
  
  Also this guy was forging documents so....yeah
  
  With ID people care far more about the portfolio. The degree tells employers absolutely nothing with is why finding a job is dreadful. Either you do can do the work or you are fired. Also how many great designers don't have a tradition education? Heck is a traditional education even defined now. There's not universal diploma specifically for UIUX designers.
  
  There's far more on the job experience why folks don't ask.
  
  I got my diploma at the bottom of a bin. It's just so useless.
  
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- Rob Podell
  
  Eric Strebel
  
  7 years ago
  
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  Wouldn't the safety and regulations fall more on a structural engineer than an architect?
  
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  - Ray Jepson
    
    Rob Podell
    
    7 years ago
    
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    I think architects can sign off on safety and regulations in most cases. There is a reason that it is a licensed profession!
    
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