The Florida Bar, the state’s guardian for the integrity of the legal profession, announced that the Florida Supreme Court in recent court orders disciplined 26 attorneys — five were disbarred, 16 suspended, three were placed on probation and six were reprimanded. Some attorneys received more than one form of discipline.
None of the disciplined attorneys were from Jacksonville and none were from the Northeast Florida area.
The following lawyers are disciplined:
• Julio Adolfo Galletti, 7935 S.W. 17th Street, Miami, permanently disbarred effective immediately pursuant to a March 1 court order. Galletti failed to properly maintain a trust account with funds from 46 clients as well as related accounting records.
• Leonard William Krouner, 4196 Mount Hukee Ave., San Diego, Calif., disbarred effective immediately pursuant to a March 21 court order. Krouner was convicted of insurance fraud, grand larceny and workers compensation fraud in New York in May 2003 for filing for and receiving disability and workers compensation benefits while continuing to work as an attorney. He committed a criminal act that reflects adversely on his honesty, trustworthiness or fitness as a lawyer.
• Dominick Sanchez, P.O. Box 941703, Miami, disbarred effective 30 days from a March 15 court order. Sanchez admitted that he misappropriated trust account funds and consented to disbarment.
• David Emory Fleet, 1712 Evans Court, Niceville, disbarred retroactive to April 11, 2006, pursuant to a March 29 court order. Fleet was found guilty in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida in October 2005 of 13 felony counts of wire fraud; one felony count of conspiracy to engage in monetary transactions affecting interstate commerce and involving criminally derived property; six felony counts of money laundering and aiding and abetting; and one felony count of making a false statement to a federal agent.
• Bernard Bronner, 305 Madison Ave., No. 449, New York, N.Y., disbarred effective immediately pursuant to a March 8 court order. Bronner had been previously suspended for not complying with a subpoena for financial records. He was disbarred as a result of his failure to appear at a final hearing regarding his failure to comply.
• Allison Brady Colvin, 1110 Via Jardin, Palm Beach Gardens, suspended for three years effective immediately, pursuant to a March 22 court order. Colvin misappropriated $64,044.97 from the company employing her as its office manager through embezzlement and falsifying time records to get overtime pay.
• Dennis Paul Cronin, 676 Fountainhead Way, Naples, suspended for 91 days effective immediately pursuant to a March 8 court order. Cronin prepared two fraudulent deeds and caused those deeds to be recorded in the public record.
• Thomas Francis Dilustro, 531 S. Gay Street, Suite 602, Knoxville, Tenn., suspended for 30 days effective 30 days from a March 15 court order. Dilustro engaged in sexual conduct with a client that exploited or adversely affected the interest of the client or the lawyer-client relationship; engaged in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation; and lied to a judge in Tennessee regarding a personal relationship with a client.
• Michael Wilson Dugger, 903 Lasswade Drive, Tallahassee, suspended for 91 days beginning 30 days after a March 1 court order. Dugger failed to act with reasonable diligence and promptness in representing a client and failed to keep a client informed on the status of litigation, resulting in the client losing her claim to an estate.
• John Robert Fuchs, 12100 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1180, Los Angeles, Calif., suspended for 90 days retroactive to May 4, 2006, and placed on probation for two years retroactive to Aug. 3, 2006, pursuant to a March 22 court order.Fuchs failed to provide notice of receipt of trust funds and represented clients with adverse interests.
• Michael Walter Gaines, 3666 Sapphire Lane, Palm Harbor, suspended until further order of the court effective 30 days from a March 1 order. Gaines failed to abide by the terms of a rehabilitation contract with Florida Lawyers Assistance Inc., in which he agreed to totally refrain from the use of all mood-altering substances.
• Mark T. Guariglia, 11900 Biscayne Blvd., Suite 600, Miami, issued an emergency suspension until further order of the court, effective 30 days from a March 1 court order. A review of Guariglia’s bank records revealed he misappropriated funds from his trust account, using recent deposits to satisfy obligations incurred in prior periods.
• James Tyler Hendrick, 317 Whitehead St., Key West, suspended effective 30 days from March 9 pursuant to a March 12 court order On Feb. 23, Hendrick was found guilty by a jury on four counts of a federal indictment alleging conspiracy to defraud, obstruction of justice and witness tampering.
• Daryl L. Merl, 44 W. Flagler St., Suite 2200, Miami, issued an emergency suspension until further order of the court pursuant to a March 5 court order. Merle misappropriated and/or diverted funds from his trust account.
• Alexis Summer Moore, P.O. Box 310365, Miami, suspended for one year, effective immediately, pursuant to a March 22 court order. In connection with a disciplinary matter, Moore knowingly made a false statement of material fact or an omission or committed an act that adversely reflected on her fitness to practice law, and engaged in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation.
• John Stanley Morse, One Urban Center, Suite 750, Tampa, suspended for 90 days effective 30 days from a March 22 court order and ordered to receive a public reprimand and to attend the next scheduled trust accounting workshop in his area. Morse failed to properly maintain trust accounting records and follow trust account procedures.
• David Smith Nunes, 4297 N. State Road 7, Lauderdale Lakes, suspended for three years, effective 30 days from a March 14 court order. Nunes failed to provide competent representation to a client and engaged in conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice after multiple appearances in court while under the influence of alcohol.
• William Roach Jr., 300 S. Pine Island Road, Suite 266, Plantation, suspended for three years, effective 30 days from a March 22 court order. Roach testified falsely under oath, repeatedly lied to the Bar in connection with a disciplinary matter, committed perjury, failed to provide competent representation to a client, failed to keep a client reasonably informed about the status of a matter, manipulated client ledgers, failed to explain a matter to the extent reasonably necessary to permit a client to make informed decisions and fabricated evidence.
• David Jon Russ, 2701 N.W. 23rd Blvd., Apt. K-94, Gainesville, suspended for three years retroactive to Sept. 21, 2006, following a March 15 court order. Russ pled no contest to two counts of arson in 1997 and failed to report this to the Bar.
• Michael L. Weinreb, 475 Sunrise Way, West Babylon, N.Y., suspended for three years effective immediately pursuant to a March 29 court order. Weinreb pled guilty in June 2004 to one felony count in Nassau County, N.Y. He committed a criminal act that reflected adversely on his honesty, trustworthiness or fitness as a lawyer.
• Michael William Przybylski, 117 S. Cook St., No. 360, Barrington, Ill., suspended for 45 days effective retroactively to Dec. 13, 2005, following a March 1 court order. Przybylski used his position with the Cook County, Ill., Sheriff’s Department to access arrest records and then send solicitation postcards for his private law practice. He engaged in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation and engaged in conduct in connection with the practice of law that is prejudicial to the administration of justice.
• Charles Daniel Akes, P.O. Box 5986, Lakeland, will have a public reprimand administered by the Board of Governors of The Florida Bar and a three-year probation, effective immediately pursuant to a March 22 order. Akes also was ordered to be evaluated by Florida Lawyers Assistance Inc. and to seek treatment if recommended. Akes failed to act with reasonable diligence and promptness in representing a client, failed to keep a client reasonably informed about the status of a case and engaged in conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice.
• Larry Alan Baker, 8801 Gatehouse Road, Apt. 4, Plantation, will receive a public reprimand to be administered by the Board of Governors and must attend the next scheduled session of Ethics School in his area pursuant to a March 22 order. Baker failed to comply with Florida Bar rules regulating trust account record-keeping and practiced law in a jurisdiction other than his home state in violation of the regulation of the legal profession.
• Phillip Timothy Howard, 1056 Siena Oaks Circle East, Palm Beach Gardens, reprimanded and placed on probation for 18 months, effective immediately, pursuant to a March 22 court order. Howard engaged in business transactions adverse to a client’s interest and failed to comply with trust accounting rules.
• Timothy Allen Patrick, 1906 N. Tampa St., Tampa, directed to receive a public reprimand at the first Board of Governors meeting subsequent to a March 8 court order and ordered to pay $13,000 in restitution. Patrick failed to keep clients reasonably informed about the status of a case, failed to explain a matter to his client to the extent necessary to make an informed decision and failed to act with due diligence and promptness in representing a client.
• Jerry Arthur Riggs Sr., 1926 Hollywood Blvd., Suite 314, Hollywood, reprimanded pursuant to a March 22 court order. Riggs, who had been suspended for trust accounting violations, failed and refused to complete and file a sworn affidavit listing the names and addresses of all persons and entities to which he provided a notice of suspension from the practice of law, as required by Bar rules.