Opinion ID: 2050973
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Professional Finances

Text: 70. Petitioner was a signatory on his law firm's trust account. Tr. II 107. Between November 30, 1990 and April 30, 1991, the account was overdrawn on 26 separate occasions. BX 22 at 1. In December 1991, Bar Counsel recommended to Petitioner changes in the operation of the account, based upon an audit undertaken by a certified public accountant. BX 22. 71. Between January 1994 and April 1995, Petitioner's law firm operating account was consistently overdrawn, despite the transfer of $164,705 from the law firm's trust account to the operating account. BX 23 at 3. Petitioner was a signatory on the operating account and wrote counter checks on it, but he testified that he was unaware of the number of times that the operating account was overdrawn. Tr. II 107. 72. On or about January 11, 1995, Petitioner's law partner, George Tillerson, wired $300,000 out of the trust account to an investment company in Atlanta, Georgia. BX 23 at 3, 26, 27. [4] Petitioner testified that he had no idea that the funds had been sent out. Tr. II 109. First American Title Insurance Company later sued Petitioner for recovery of the wired funds. BX 25. Petitioner testified that he had notified his partner and the firm that he had agreed to a practice monitor with the Office of Bar Counsel and an audit by a CPA. That notice, he believes, precipitated his partner's $300,000 investment scheme to try to cover trust-account deficits unknown to Petitioner. Tr. I 90-91. The loss of the funds nearly cost a client a parcel of real property near the new football stadium in Maryland. Tr. I 92-93. Petitioner's church, Way of the Cross Church of Christ, advanced him $150,000 to repay the debt to the client. Tr. I 93-94. Petitioner recognizes that Mr. Tillerson took advantage of him, but also that he lapsed in supervising Mr. Tillerson adequately. Tr. I 82-83. 73. The Hearing Committee took evidence on restitution and exerted considerable effort toward specifying what Petitioner has repaid and what he still owes. Because no plan for the remaining restitution was in the evidence before the Board, the Board requested that Petitioner and Bar Counsel supplement and clarify the record on restitution. A copy of Petitioner's Affidavit supplementing the record is attached to this Report and Recommendation. [5] 74. Petitioner has made restitution in the amount of thousands of dollars to clients and doctors since he was suspended. Tr. I 138-39. He estimated the total repaid restitution as of the hearing as $189,000. Tr. I 139. He testified that restitution had forced him into a foreclosure on his home and personal bankruptcy. Id. For example, at the time of the hearing, Petitioner had paid $5,000 in restitution to one client (Cornish), $20,000 to another, unnamed client, and $18,000 to Capital City Investment Co. Tr. II 43-44. 75. Petitioner never made restitution to Mr. Madison. Tr. II 40. Petitioner has informed the Board that restitution of $650 will be made to Mr. Madison by May 2001. Petitioner's Affidavit, Jan. 2, 2001 (Petitioner's Affidavit). 76. Petitioner had paid much of the restitution owed to his client, Jacqueline King, including $1,350 since the hearing. Id. He still owes her $1,600, her doctor over $1,500, and a Neurology Center $1,750. He has secured the remaining King obligations with a promissory note that he promises to pay by May 2001. Id. 77. Petitioner owes the Gunthrop Estate $4,500. Tr. II 110 11. He is investigating whether this amount was paid out of a settlement. Petitioner's Affidavit. 78. Petitioner owes $2,500 to LeRoy Allen. He has represented to the Board that he will make payments of $150 monthly for four years. Id. He owes $4,500 to Joyce Johnson, which he has informed the Board he will pay in monthly installments of $200 for four years. Id. 79. Petitioner owed the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, Maryland $90 for a bounced check, but he testified that he had made arrangements to pay the bill. Tr. II 43. 80. At the time of the hearing, Petitioner owed his church approximately $50,000, based upon its loan to assist him in repaying a client who had suffered losses as the result of his partner's theft from the firm's trust account. Tr. I 165, Tr. II 44. At the time of the first hearing in this matter, Petitioner was employed as director of development for Way of the Cross Church of Christ, which is a nationwide organization of 50 churches. He earned $2,000 a month as an independent contractor. Tr. I 33, 50, 143. At the September 1999 hearing, Petitioner testified he was working for the church as a setoff to the money he owed them. In his supplemental submission to the Board, Petitioner has presented convincing proof that the debt to the church has been satisfied.