The Supreme Court of Illinois has announced the disbarment of two lawyers and the suspension of 14 others in the filing of lawyer disciplinary orders entered this morning. Sanctions were imposed because the lawyers engaged in professional misconduct by violating state ethics law. All information is provided by the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission.

DISBARRED

• Jay Fernand Fortier, Oak Park

Mr. Fortier, who was licensed in Illinois in 2006, was disbarred on consent. In connection with a loan modification business, he shared attorney’s fees with non-attorneys, did not supervise non-attorney employees, distributed false and misleading advertisements, neglected client matters and failed to return unearned fees. He also provided false and misleading information to his clients and the Illinois Attorney General.

• Kevin F. Plachta, Plainfield

Mr. Plachta, who was licensed in 1989, was disbarred on consent. He was found guilty in the Circuit Court of Will County of two felony counts of possession of child pornography. He was suspended on an interim basis on December 20, 2011.

SUSPENDED

• Eugene W. Beeler, Jr., Chicago

Mr. Beeler, who was licensed in 1969, was suspended for two years and until further order of the Court. He neglected two civil cases and did not respond to requests for information from the ARDC. In addition, he misled a client regarding the status of a case. He did not appear at his disciplinary hearing.  

• Beth Ann Broyes, Evanston

Ms. Broyles, who was licensed in 1998, was suspended for three years and until further order of the Court. She was convicted of conspiracy to commit visa fraud after she assisted a client in a scheme to employ temporary foreign workers in the United States in contravention of immigration law.  She was suspended on an interim basis on May 26, 2010.

• Susan Elizabeth Emrich, San Diego, Calif.

Ms. Emrich was licensed in Illinois in 1990 and in California in 1994. The Supreme Court of California entered an order suspending her for three years, staying that suspension in full by a five-year period of probation, and imposing an actual suspension of for two years and until she shows proof to the State Bar Court of her rehabilitation. She neglected several client matters. The Supreme Court of Illinois imposed reciprocal discipline and suspended her for three years, with the suspension stayed in its entirety by a five year period of probation subject to the conditions imposed upon Ms. Emrich by the Supreme Court of California, including an actual suspension during the first two years of her probation, and until she is reinstated in California.

• Michael Samuel Froman, Skokie

Mr. Froman, who was licensed in 1976, was suspended on March 21, 2011, for two years and until further order of the Court, with all but the first year stayed by a one year period of probation, with conditions. Discipline was imposed because he failed to preserve the identity of $12,131.12 in funds belonging to two clients. In addition, he neglected an aunt’s probate matter and made misrepresentations to her son and another lawyer about the work that he claimed to have performed. Because he did not comply with the terms of the probation order, he has now been suspended until further order of the Court.

• Oscar Gallo, Jr., Naples, Fla.

Mr. Gallo, who was licensed in Illinois in 1996, was suspended for three months. He engaged in a conflict of interest in representing both parties to a real estate transaction that appeared to involve a fraudulent mortgage scheme orchestrated by a mortgage broker. The broker was an acquaintance of his. The suspension is effective on June 8, 2012.  

• Michael A. Hall, Peoria

Mr. Hall, who was licensed in 1992, was suspended for three years. He misappropriated over $35,000 that he had agreed to hold for a relative and hid that conduct from his law firm. He also converted $2,500 from his law firm and $57,500 from his client trust account. The suspension is effective on June 8, 2012.

• Norton Helton, Chicago

Mr. Helton, who was licensed in 1993, was suspended on an interim basis and until further order of the Court. He was convicted in federal court of participating in a scheme to obtain money from homeowners facing foreclosure by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses. In addition, he was convicted of wire fraud after he fraudulently obtained more than $1.6 million in mortgage loans through a “mortgage bailout” program. He was sentenced to a 180-month term of imprisonment and was ordered to make restitution of $3,277,475.00.   

• Laurel Sue Hickman, St. Charles

 Ms. Hickman, who was licensed in 1989, was suspended for thirty days and until she makes restitution to certain clients of fees that they had paid her. She is also required to successfully complete the ARDC Professionalism Seminar. She neglected two loan modification matters, divided legal fees in those matters with a non-lawyer, and failed to refund unearned fees despite having agreed to do so if she could not obtain modifications of her clients’ loans. The suspension is effective on June 8, 2012.

• Judd Barton James, Hollywood, Fla.

Mr. James, who was licensed in 1981, was suspended for six months and until he successfully completes the ARDC Professionalism Seminar. He practiced law before immigration authorities after his name had been removed from the Master Roll of Attorneys in Illinois due to his failure to pay registration fees or comply with Minimum Continuing Legal Education requirements. He also made false statements to a tribunal about his registration status. The suspension is effective on June 8, 2012.

• Christopher Frank Keller, Northbrook

Mr. Keller, who was licensed in 1999, was suspended for three years and until he pays certain outstanding federal taxes. He was convicted of willfully failing to file federal income tax returns for the years 2004 and 2005 and was sentenced to two consecutive twelve-month terms of imprisonment. He failed to report his conviction to the ARDC. The suspension is effective on June 8, 2012.

• Thomas A. Krieg, Morton

Mr. Krieg, who was licensed in 1980, was suspended for 60 days and until further order of the Court, with the suspension stayed in its entirety by a two-year period of conditional probation. He was convicted of two offenses of driving while under the influence of alcohol.

• Kevin Odell Pritchett, Darien

Mr. Pritchett, who was licensed in 1987, was suspended for five months. He was convicted of attempt to commit financial identity theft after he used his secretary’s identification information to open a bank account and to obtain a life insurance agency agreement. The suspension is effective on June 8, 2012.

• Edward Arthur Voci, River Forest

Mr. Voci, who was licensed in Illinois in 1977, was suspended for ninety days. He neglected an employment discrimination case and made a misrepresentation to a federal court. The suspension is effective on June 8, 2012.

• Brian Christopher Witter, Chicago

Mr. Witter, who was licensed in 1988, was suspended for four months and until he completes the ARDC Professionalism Seminar. He made false statements in federal court pleadings and made false statements about the qualifications or integrity of a judge in a state court proceeding. The suspension is effective on June 8, 2012.

CENSURED

• David Milton Svec, Westchester

Mr. Svec, who was licensed in 1980, was censured. He engaged in a conflict of interest when he drafted a trust amendment for a client by which Mr. Svec’s wife was to receive ten percent of the residuary of the client’s estate, a gift that was valued at approximately $128,000. After the client’s death, Mrs. Svec renounced the bequest. 

TRANSFERRED TO INACTIVE STATUS

• Mauro DeFalco, Bloomingdale

Mr. DeFalco, who was licensed in 1988, was transferred to disability inactive status until further order of the Court. Owing to a health condition, he is incapacitated from practicing law.

• Christopher M. Stone, Chicago

Mr. Stone, who was licensed in 1990, was transferred to inactive status until further order of the Court. Owing to a health condition, he is incapacitated from practicing law.