Former lawyer's clients to get $86,000 from state security fund

COLUMBUS -- The state is giving more than $86,000 to 13 clients of former Mahoning County attorney Mark S. Colucci, who was convicted on federal tax charges in 2004.
Several clients said he had accepted fees but not provided services.
The $86,375 released recently to Colucci's clients came from the Board of Commissioners of the Clients' Security Fund of Ohio, which is funded partially from attorney registration fees to help victims of attorney theft, Ohio Supreme Court officials say.
Last year, the clients' security fund released $28,950 to 16 clients of Colucci's.
Fund officials have not released a list of the clients who received funds from the state in connection with Colucci. They said that individual clients would have to grant permission.
Colucci, a former lawyer who gave up his law license in 2004 amid a pending disciplinary investigation, pleaded guilty in 2004 to tax charges.
Colucci pleaded guilty in federal court to failing to withhold $29,727 in employee taxes from 1996 to 2001 and to pay $291,149 in personal income taxes from 1997 to 2001.