Los Angeles lawyer Photoshopped herself into pics with celebrities

LOS ANGELES -- A Los Angeles lawyer is pictured in dozens of photos with celebrities and prominent politicians, including George Clooney, Barack Obama and Joe Biden. It's an impressive display, but they're all fake.

In response, the State Bar of California is considering suspending her license for "deceptive advertising." An investigation concluded attorney Svitlana Sangary Photoshopped herself in the photos for publicity.

"She was making false images in order to sell her services and that is highly reprehensible," said Diane Karpman, an attorney specialized in legal ethics. Karpman is not connected to the case.

In legal documents, a state court judge said Sangary failed to cooperate with the Bar and kept the pictures on her website for months. He called her responses to the charges bizarre.

One of those responses included: "Sangary's American Dream has come true, as she has been able to achieve a point wherein now, in her thirties, Sangary is a prominent donor and philanthropist, supporting important social causes, who had recently received the email from President Obama, with the subject line 'I need your help today,' asking Svitlana Sangary for an additional donation."

It appears the e-mail from President Obama was sent out to thousands of people.

"Her response to the pleadings were a little bit odd. She was never really responding to the process and I think that really invoked the ire of the State Bar court," Karpman said.

Sangary's neighbor Flynn Beck said she often heard yelling coming from Sangary's apartment. Beck even called police on a couple of occasions. She was stunned that Sangary would use fake photographs on her website.

"That would surprise me if anyone is doing that," Beck said. "She did pick a hottie (to pose with). George Clooney's pretty cute."

Sangary was not at her office on Wilshire Boulevard. Staff said they did not know when she would return.

"The court in this particular case is really angry at her and going after her, because she showed constant disrespect for the system and how things are supposed to work," Karpman said.