The Florida Supreme Court disciplined 15 attorneys — disbarring two, revoking the license of one, suspending seven and publicly reprimanding five. There are none from Jacksonville.
• John Charles Archer, Englewood, the Supreme Court granted Archer’s request for a disciplinary revocation, with leave to seek readmission after five years. (Admitted to practice: 1991) Disciplinary revocation is equivalent to disbarment. Disciplinary charges pending against Archer included allegations of failing to properly supervise non-lawyer employees, sharing fees with a non-lawyer employee, false advertising, mishandling of client funds, failure to properly maintain trust account records and accepting prohibited up-front legal fees for out-of-state clients seeking modification of their home loans.
• Frank Carrillo, Miami, to be publicly reprimanded by publication in the Southern Reporter. (Admitted to practice: 1989) Carrillo failed to diligently represent a couple in a bankruptcy case and he failed to adequately communicate. The husband and wife subsequently requested their file and terminated his services. (Case No. SC15-1160)
• Michael Benjamin Crowder, Bradenton, disbarred. (Admitted to practice: 2011) While serving as an Army judge advocate, Crowder had a business selling coins and precious metals. He accepted advance payment from customers then failed to deliver the merchandise, claiming it was lost in the mail. Crowder was convicted in federal court of three counts of wire and mail fraud. He was sentenced to 60 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and restitution to victims of more than $1 million. He also was discharged as an Army judge advocate.
• William Thomas Edy, Cape Coral, permanently disbarred. (Admitted to practice: 1977) In several instances, Edy was paid thousands of dollars to handle cases and he failed to provide services. Edy also misappropriated and commingled client funds, failed to properly supervise non-lawyer employees and fraudulently used the credit card of a deceased person. Edy was arrested for second-degree grand theft related to the misappropriated funds.
• William Richard Ezzell, Gainesville, suspended for 90 days. (Admitted to practice: 2002) Ezzell pleaded no contest in court to video voyeurism, a third-degree felony.
• Fatima Rita dos Santos Fahmy, Orlando, to be publicly reprimanded by the Board of Governors of The Florida Bar. (Admitted to practice: 2004) In two separate cases — one involving an estate and the other about child support and custody issues –– Fahmy did not diligently pursue the matters or effectively communicate with clients.
• Theodore Stewart Fries Jr., Ocala, suspended for one year. (Admitted to practice: 2002) Fries was found in contempt for noncompliance with a May 12 suspension order. Specifically, Fries was required to notify his clients, opposing counsel and tribunals of his suspension and provide the Bar within 30 days of his suspension, a sworn affidavit listing the names and addresses of all persons and entities that received a copy of his suspension order.
• Eric Daniel Frommer, Lake Mary, to be publicly reprimanded. (Admitted to practice: 2006) Frommer failed to timely respond to Bar investigative inquiries.
• Charles Francis McKinnon, Homestead, suspended until further order. (Admitted to practice: 1996) According to a petition for emergency suspension order, McKinnon appeared to be causing great public harm by misappropriating and/or diverting funds entrusted to him and by his failure to respond to official Bar inquiries and subpoenas.
• Michael Lynn Moore, Orlando, suspended for 90 days. (Admitted to practice: 1990) Moore was hired to receive and remit investment funds through his trust account. Ultimately, the investment scheme proved to be a scam. While Moore had no involvement in it and did not draft documents regarding the investment scheme, he was negligent in not closely scrutinizing the one-sided investment agreements and strategies. Moore’s trust account was not fully compliant with the rules. While Moore was on vacation, an employee, who also was a client, withdrew her settlement funds while there were liens against those funds. The employee was prosecuted and ordered to pay restitution. No clients lost funds resulting from her actions. There was no misappropriation by Moore.
• Nicole Pegues, Orlando, to be publicly reprimanded by publication in the Southern Reporter. (Admitted to practice: 2000) Pegues engaged in conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice in connection with compelling witness testimony in a trial.
• David Philips, Miami, suspended for 30 days. (Admitted to practice: 1999) Philips was arrested and charged in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court with possession of cocaine, a third-degree felony. The criminal charges will be dropped following his successful completion of the drug court program in which he is participating.
• Vincent Charles Rowley, St. Petersburg, suspended for 30 days. (Admitted to practice: 1992) Rowley accepted cases referred to him by a bankruptcy trustee he believed to be a licensed attorney. When he took the case of her friend who died in a car accident, Rowley told her he’d pay her a referral fee if he was hired and successful. Upon learning she was not a Florida Bar member, Rowley knew he was not permitted to pay her a referral fee, but felt bad and offered to pay her $3,000 in cash. She refused to take the money.
• Michael Anthony Samuda, Pembroke Pines, suspended for 91 days. (Admitted to practice: 2000) Samuda allowed his former law partner, Nathaniel Joe Birdsong III, to practice law in his office even though he became ineligible to practice law in 2005 and did not seek reinstatement. Birdsong also received two disciplinary suspensions — one in 2007 and another in 2010. During that time he routinely met with clients or prospective clients and signed fee agreements on behalf of his employer. Samuda failed to properly supervise other non-lawyer employees.
• James Socrates Strouss III, Wilton Manors, to be publicly reprimanded. (Admitted to practice: 1989) Strouss’ law firm was retained by a couple in a foreclosure matter. Several months later the firm was again retained to represent the same clients in a personal injury matter. A paralegal hired by Strouss communicated with the couple in both matters. Strouss failed to adequately supervise the paralegal who gave the clients legal advice and held himself out as a lawyer.