NOTICE OF REVOCATION AND RESTITUTION Case No. 00-78-GA Notice Issued: February 2, 2001 Richard A. Neaton, P-26974, Port Charlotte, Florida by the Attorney Discipline Board Tri-County Hearing Panel #85.
1. Revocation; 2. Effective February 2, 2001. The hearing panel found respondent in default for failing to appear at the hearing on November 1, 2000. Based upon respondent=s default, the hearing panel found that the misconduct charged in the complaint had been established, specifically: Respondent failed to return trust funds to the rightful beneficiaries; commingled trust funds with his own; made misrepresentations as to his investment of the trust funds; misappropriated funds held in trust as a fiduciary; failed to file a final accounting or deliver funds as ordered by a circuit court in the state of Maryland; and failed to make any substantial payments toward his satisfaction of the consent judgment entered by the Wayne County Circuit Court. Respondent=s conduct was found to be in violation of MCR 9.104(1)-(4); and Michigan Rules of Professional Conduct 1.4(a) and (b); 1.15(a) and (b); 3.4(c); 4.1 and 8.4(a)-(c).
The hearing panel ordered the revocation of respondent=s license to practice law in Michigan. The panel further ordered that respondent pay restitution. Costs were assessed in the amount of $419.29.