FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – June 15, 2020 - According to an online news report published on wsvn.com, law enforcement arrested a renowned attorney from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for allegedly keeping hundreds of thousands of dollars owed to his clientele. Law enforcement alleges that the attorney took advantage of clients and is the attorney who is now facing serious charges from numerous clients.
Fort Lauderdale Police state that several victims have come forward, alleging that the suspect became very difficult for clients to reach. Some are claiming that they attempted contacting the attorney numerous times without a return call. One of the victims that have come forward has been an employee with the Fort Lauderdale Police Department for over 20 years. The victim stated that she believed that the suspect was an attorney who she could trust. The victim stated that she was relying on the suspect for legal guidance and did not expect the attorney to take advantage of her.
Another victim who talked about her case with 7News stated that she is another one of the attorney's victims. She alleges that she was referred to the suspect and that he was considered "well respected," and she retained the attorney. She is alleging that once she paid the suspect, the suspect discontinued all communications with her. The suspect also did not return any of her calls. The woman alleges that she paid the suspect $6,000, and that was the last she heard from the suspect. The woman stated in the news article that it was difficult for her to think her payments may have gone into the suspect's personal bank account and not to where the money was intended to go.
Law enforcement stated that most of the victims were clients who retained the suspect between 2019 and 2020 for several probate court proceedings. According to the police, the courts would authorize distributions to the suspect's trust or escrow accounts. Then the money was to be paid to the suspect's clientele. However, the money was never distributed to the suspect's clients, which is a violation of the law and public trust. The investigators stated that the suspect created several excuses for not making the distributions to his clients. According to the news report, the suspect would claim the client's checks were lost in the mail. Court records reveal the suspect used the funds on "car payments, dinners, Uber rides, mortgage payments, clothing, and other items. The total amount of money taken is believed to be just over $625,000.
One victim stated that she worked very hard to earn the money that they lost to the suspect. She felt the loss of the money left her feeling financially devastating. She also stated that it makes her feel especially victimized because the money was stolen from her because of the suspects "ill representation." The victim said that she was trying to come to grips with the idea of having to start all over again. She claims that she retained the suspect back in 2017 and that he kept making unkept promises to her. She stated that she has just recently discovered that he lost his law license and could not practice law. She said this was never divulged to her. She claims the suspect continued to speak with her and telling her he could help her, although he was already suspended from practice. The suspect lied to her and told her that he was working her case.