Opinion ID: 1961094
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Additional Misappropriation

Text: Petitioner offered evidence, and the hearing court found, that respondent had misappropriated funds of another trust account and that the funds in question within the Escrow Account for Mr. Lobo were not the only funds that respondent used for an unauthorized purpose. On February 26, 1997, respondent received a check from Jatin Damani for $26,000. Respondent testified that these funds were to be held in trust for the client until they were returned on August 7, 1997. The bank records indicate that these funds were not held in trust after the funds were deposited on April 3, 1997. On July 18, 1997, the balance of the trust account was under $5,000. Although respondent did refund the $26,000, he was only able to do so because $25,000 was deposited to the account in late July of 1997. Those funds came from respondent's and his wife's other accounts, including two checks totaling $10,000 which bear a signature appearing to be the same as the signature on the Escrow Agreement and letters purporting to be from Suri. We hold that there was clear and convincing evidence in the record to support the hearing court's findings of fact and that those findings were not clearly erroneous.