Top Ohio court disbars attorney permanently

By Marc Kovac

The disbarred attorney also was charged with theft in his handling of one of his cases.

COLUMBUS — The Ohio Supreme Court has disbarred a Warren attorney who took money from clients.

In a 7-0 decision, the justices noted that George N. Kafantaris, 55, “repeatedly misappropriated funds from two different clients, and incredibly, in one instance, continued taking those funds while under suspension. Respondent callously disregarded his client’s interests. Furthermore, his actions show disrespect for the judicial system as a whole.”

The decision lined up with the state’s Board of Commissioners on Grievances and Discipline, which earlier recommended Kafantaris be disbarred permanently for misappropriating funds from two clients and for filing a false affidavit, according to documents.

The Supreme Court also suspended Kafantaris’ law license late last year, after a mistrial in a rape case and his indictment on grand theft. His law license also was suspended in 2003 after he lied in a sworn deposition about having a sexual relationship with an office employee, according to Vindicator files.

Legal counsel for Kafantaris had argued that his client should be suspended indefinitely while receiving treatment for mental-health issues. Counsel also asked the court to take into account Kafantaris’ ongoing treatment for depression, his admission of wrongdoing and the fact that he repaid the money he took from clients.

But in the decision announced Wednesday morning, the Ohio Supreme Court justices wrote: “Respondent repeatedly failed to disclose to the court the existence of ... settlement proceeds. He also failed to file a notice of disqualification with that court after his 2003 suspension despite an express directive from this court to do so. It is most disturbing that one of respondent’s first acts after beginning that suspension was to submit to this court an affidavit containing lies and misrepresentations. Permanent disbarment is the only appropriate sanction.”

Kafantaris also was indicted on a charge of grand theft in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court in July in relation to his handling of a personal injury case for a Warren woman, Carol Williams.

Williams died while Kafantaris was handling the case, and Kafantaris reportedly didn’t tell Williams’ family he had settled the claim and deposited the money in his business trust account, said Warren attorney Randil Rudloff, who handled the bar association investigation along with Warren attorney Curtis Ambrosy.

The criminal case is scheduled to go to trial May 18 before Judge W. Wyatt McKay.

XCONTRIBUTOR: Staff Writer Ed Runyan