Arash Missaghi, who was shot dead last week by a man accusing him of defrauding his family of their home and savings, was not just a prolific fraudster, he was also an expert in abusing the legal system to get away with it, a lawyer said Tuesday.

“The primary problem with Mr. Missaghi is that he never should have been in a position to exploit the civil justice system in the first place, because he should have been in prison,” said Peter Smiley, a lawyer for clients who, like the gunman, sued Missaghi for fraud.