Former attorney gets probation for offenses involving Brookfield man’s estate

Staff report

WARREN

Former Lisbon solicitor Virginia M. Barborak was sentenced in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court to five years’ probation Monday for forgery, tampering with records and grand theft associated with a probate case involving a Brookfield man.

Barborak, 47, of South Ridge Drive in Salem, must serve 90 days of house arrest, pay a $7,500 fine, perform 250 hours of community service and continue with counseling.

The Ohio Supreme Court permanently disbarred Barborak in December because of the offenses and other issues investigated by the Columbiana County Bar Association.

Bradford L. Tammaro, assistant Ohio attorney, handling the criminal case on assignment from the Ohio Supreme Court, said the charges relate to Barborak’s failure to keep $50,000 she received from the Brookfield man’s estate in an interest-bearing trust account separate from her own property.

She was supposed to be holding the money to give to a Lisbon athletic organization as requested in the client’s will. The organization eventually got the money.

She moved the money from her account two days after she received it and used it personally, Tammaro said.

She also lied about what she had done, including submitting forged documents, Tammaro said.