| Case Digest |
On July 9, 2001, Respondent pleaded guilty in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Morris County, to one count of third degree theft by deception and one count of third degree tampering with witnesses and informants. On December 7, 2001, Respondent was sentenced to two years probation on each count to run concurrently and was ordered to make restitution in the amount of $19,800.00. By Order dated April 19, 2002, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania placed Respondent on temporary suspension and referred his criminal conviction to the Disciplinary Board pursuant to Pa.R.D.E. 214(f)(1).
Respondent entered into Joint Stipulations of Law and Fact in which he admitted all of the allegations set forth in the Petition for Discipline. He did not attend the pre-hearing conference or the disciplinary hearing.
Both the Hearing Committee and the Disciplinary Board unanimously recommended that Respondent be disbarred. According to the Report and Recommendation of the Disciplinary Board, Respondent’s convictions constituted egregious professional misconduct and his failure to appear for the disciplinary hearing was “a significant aggravating circumstance demonstrating Respondent’s lack of interest in retaining his law license and a lack of regard for the disciplinary system.” By Order dated November 14, 2003, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania disbarred Respondent.
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