The Florida Bar announced that the Florida Supreme Court in recent court orders disciplined 19 attorneys, disbarring eight and suspending nine. For more information, visit www.floridabar.org.
• Anthony Joseph Alfero, 2650 W. State Road 84, Fort Lauderdale, publicly reprimanded following a May 24 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1986) Alfero is further directed to attend a Florida Bar anger management workshop. In his representation of a client in the dissolution of a marriage case, Alfero made threatening remarks in his letter to opposing counsel. (Case No. SC12-621)
• Peter James Cannon, 3837 Northdale Blvd., Tampa, suspended for three years, retroactive to July 21, 2011, following a May 29 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1997) After being retained as a special assistant public defender to provide legal services in three criminal appeals cases, Cannon failed to file the initial briefs, failed to communicate with the clients, failed to return the clients’ files and failed to respond, in writing, to the inquiry of The Florida Bar. (Case No. SC11-2310)
• Charles Patrick Clemens, 21 Clover Field Drive, Loudonville, N.Y., disbarred effective immediately, following a May 22 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2004) In several separate instances, Clemens was retained to represent clients and he failed to communicate and failed to provide adequate representation. Clemens also failed to attend multiple court hearings, refusing to comply with The Florida Bar’s requests. Lastly, Clemens had alimony and child support arrearages totaling $28,000 plus accrued statutory interest and had the ability to pay the amount owed. (Case No. SC11-2185)
• Robert Joseph Friedman, 1150 E. Hallandale Beach Blvd., P.O. Box 129, Hallandale, disbarred effective immediately following a May 24 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1958) Friedman acted as a personal representative for a client’s estate, and after issuing a check to the beneficiary of the client’s estate it was unpaid due to insufficient funds in Friedman’s trust account. He admitted that he misappropriated trust funds. Friedman was also arrested and charged with driving under the influence. (Case No. SC12-659)
• Heather Mary Ann Gray, 10011 Cannon Drive, Riverview, permanently disbarred, effective immediately, following a May 1 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1996) Gray was found in contempt for failing to comply with the terms of a Jan. 19 disbarment order. Gray was ordered to notify her clients, opposing counsel and tribunals of her disbarment, and provide The Florida Bar within 30 days of her disbarment, a sworn affidavit listing the names and addresses of all persons and entities that were furnished a copy of her disbarment order. (Case No. SC12-512)
• Nicolas Jesus Gutierrez Jr., 806 S. Douglas Road, Coral Gables, suspended for one year, effective 30 days from a May 22 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1989) Gutierrez is further directed to attend ethics school. Gutierrez was retained to facilitate the sale of a boat manufacturing business, and in the process, drafted a contract for the sale of the business which was executed by all parties. Approximately one year later, the contract became the subject of imminent civil litigation. At that time, Gutierrez discovered that the copy of the contract that was in his file contained several errors. Subsequently, Gutierrez created an altered version of the contract in which he corrected the errors that he had discovered and then inserted signatures from the aforementioned file copy of the contract and backdated notarizations, among other things. Finally, he attached the altered version of the contract as an exhibit to a complaint and filed it in court. In doing so, he falsified and fabricated evidence. (Case No. SC11-1265)
• John Sanders Haile, P.O. Box 1021, Lake Placid, suspended until further order, following a June 6 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1982) Haile was placed on emergency suspension on May 15 and subsequently was found in contempt of court and suspended until he produces all records requested in a Grievance Committee subpoena. (Case Nos. SC12-557 & SC12-925)
• Fernando Hernandez, 2701 S. Bayshore Drive, Miami, disbarred effective immediately, following a May 22 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1990) Hernandez improperly commingled personal funds with trust account funds, and misappropriated funds by failing to preserve and apply them for the purpose that clients entrusted them. (Case No. SC11-1757)
• Deryl G. Hunt, Jr., 5233 Coconut Creek Parkway, Margate, suspended for 30 days, effective 30 days from a May 29 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1997) Hunt is the subject of a Florida Bar disciplinary matter in which a grievance committee found probable cause. (Case No. SC12-1051)
• James Lewis Hunter, 150 Second Ave. N., St. Petersburg, disbarred effective immediately, following a May 22 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2004) In at least seven separate instances, Hunter was retained by clients and he failed to communicate and provide adequate representation. (Case No. SC11-2308)
• Lawton Reid Jackson, 301 Chilean Ave., Palm Beach, suspended until further order, following an April 19 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1989) According to a petition for emergency suspension, Jackson appeared to be causing great public harm by the misappropriation of trust funds or property. (Case No. SC12-636)
• Mikel David Jones, 4781 N. Congress Ave., Boynton Beach, suspended until further order, effective 30 days from an April 16 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1999) Jones was found guilty in federal court of conspiracy, wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering — all felonies. (Case No. SC12-698)
• Ronald James Kurpiers II, 707 N. Franklin St., Tampa, suspended for 91 days, effective 30 days from a May 22 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2002) Kurpiers represented a client in a criminal proceeding and charged and received a substantial fee. Kurpiers subsequently advised the court that he was representing the client on a pro bono basis. After the sentencing, the client wanted to pursue an appeal. Kurpiers sought to have the client declared indigent in order to have costs paid by the State. Kurpiers also signed his client’s name to the indigency affidavit, falsely notarized it and submitted it to the court. (Case No. SC11-486)
• Thomas B. Luka, 390 N. Orange Ave, Orlando, publicly reprimanded and further, placed on probation for two years, following an April 9 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1999) Luka did not maintain the required trust account records, nor did he perform the mandatory trust accounting procedures, resulting in three insufficient funds notices from his bank. (Case No. SC11-2375)
• Rita Rosato Pitassi, P.O. Box 7108, Delray Beach, suspended for two years, effective retroactive to Jan. 15, following an April 9 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2006) Pitassi pleaded no contest in court to charges of driving under the influence and resisting arrest with violence, a third-degree felony in Florida. (Case No. SC11-2384)
• Scott Sanok, 640 Linnet Circle, Delray Beach, permanently disbarred effective immediately, following a May 1 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1995) Sanok was held in contempt for noncompliance with the conditions of his October 2011 disbarment. (Case No. SC12-284)
• Francis X. Santana, Township of Boquete, Chiriqui Province, Republic of Panama, Panama, permanently disbarred effective immediately, following a May 1 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1979) Santana was held in contempt for non-compliance with the conditions of his October 2011 disbarment. (Case No. SC12-394)
• Joseph Anthony Tsombanidis, 905 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Tarpon Springs, disbarred effective immediately, following a May 3 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2000) Tsombanidis was found in contempt of an Oct. 27, 2011, suspension order, which prohibited him from practicing law. Tsombanidis practiced law while suspended and accepted $40,000 from a client for settlement purposes and attorney fees. (Case No. SC12-561)
• Bruce Edgar Wagner, 5233 Coconut Creek Parkway, Margate, suspended for 30 days, effective 30 days from a May 29 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1970) Wagner is the subject of a Florida Bar disciplinary matter in which a grievance committee found probable cause. Wagner’s firm represented a creditor in collection matters. In an effort to keep the creditor in good standing with banks and investors, Wagner and his law partner purchased money orders and applied them to the debtors’ accounts without their prior knowledge or consent. (Case No. SC12-1052)