It's a crime allegation that reads like a "Seinfeld" episode.

  • Paul Newman indicted in 'Operation Vandelay Industries' investigation
  • He's accused of pretending to be a licensed architect
  • Scheme mirrors plots on New York-based show 'Seinfeld'

The New York attorney general has indicted a man who is accused of pretending to be an architect, an investigation Eric Schneiderman dubbed "Operation Vandelay Industries" in reference to an episode of the popular New York City-based sitcom.

Schneiderman says the man — whose name is, coincidentally, Paul Newman — drafted renderings for more than 100 buildings in three upstate New York counties.

The state attorney general also accuses Newman of issuing false documents and falsely certifying on those documents that he was a licensed architect when he was not.

The name of the investigation is a reference to a fake company that George Costanza created on Seinfeld when applying for a job. George also harbored dreams of being an architect on the show.

"Newman" was Jerry Seinfeld's nemesis on Seinfeld's eponymous sitcom.