Editor's note: This Shark is aware of an unlicensed lawyer who represented an insurance company which lost a judgment of 12 million dollars in a malpractice case. Since the injured party was a pro-se black woman, the Cook County Court just dismissed the case against the insurance company. So much for justice. Lucius Verenus, Schoolmaster, ProbateSharks.com
SPD: Unlicensed lawyer dupes client; Other victims likely
J. Kein Owens charged with breach of trust
UPDATED 8:24 PM EST Feb 28, 2014
Attorney arrested for practicing law without a license
POLICE IN SPARTANBURG SAY THEY ARRESTED AN ATTORNEY FOR PRACTICING LAW.. WITHOUT A LICENSE. WYFF NEWS FOUR'S MIKE MCCORMICK IS LIVE AND LOCAL AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.. MIKE.. HE IS CHARGED. RIGHT.. THIS IS THE WARRANT FOR BREACH OF TRUST.. AND NOW A FELONY CHARGE IS PENDING, TOO. 51:59 "i'm just trying to get the estate squared away." THOMAS MORGAN'S MOM DIED IN EARLY 2013... 48:05 "I wanted all the t's crossed, all the i's dotted." HE SAYS A FRIEND REFERRED HIM TO ATTORNEY JOHN KEVIN OWENS.. WHO WAS RENTING AN OFFICE IN THIS LAW FIRM'S BUILDING IN SPARTANBURG. 49:12 "I thought he was on the up and up." MORGAN SAYS HE PAID OWENS BETWEEN SIX AND SEVEN HUNDRED DOLLARS... 49:27 "We had agreed on $1,500, he'd handle everything." BEFORE FINDING OUT THAT OWENS' LAW LICENSE WAS SUSPENDED. 51:22 "so he took my money and he hadn't done anything in probate." THE COURT HAD NO RECORD OF MORGAN EVEN HAVING AN ATTORNEY.. SO HE WENT TO POLICE.. AND INVESTIGATOR JOHN BURGESS.. 10:17 "we usually don't get those type of cases with an attorney practicing with a suspended license." ACCORDING TO A DOCUMENT FROM THE SOUTH CAROLINA JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT.. OWENS' LICENSE WAS SUSPENDED IN MAY 2013.. FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS. 53:09 "he seemed like a nice enough fellow." POLICE SAY OWENS CONTINUED PRACTICING LAW.. AND DUPED MORGAN IN THE PROCESS. 55:38 "I don't know where he's went crazy, I don't know." OWENS IS NOW CHARGED WITH BREACH OF TRUST. HE APPEARED IN BOND COURT FRIDAY MORNING.. 20:30 "based on your record, the court is going to issue a personal recognizance bond of $2,000." AND WOULDN'T TALK TO US AS HE WALKED OUT.. 47:42 "could we get your side of the story? I'd have to direct all comments to my attorney." NOW HE HAS AN ATTORNEY.. BUT THOMAS MORGAN... DOES NOT.. 52:45 "it drove me crazy, because it scared me to death that I'm going to lose everything I had." POLICE SAY THEY BELIEVE THERE ARE MORE VICTIMS OUT THERE. IF YOU THINK YOU'RE ONE OF THEM.. CALL CRIME STOPPERS AT 1-888-CRIME-SC. MIKE MCCORMICK, WYFF NEWS FOUR, LIVE IN SPARTANBURG.
A lawyer whose license was suspended kept a rented office and took on a client who paid him hundreds of dollars to handle his mother's estate, according to Spartanburg police -- and investigators are concerned there may be other victims.
Police said J. Kevin Owens had a rented office at 1208 John B. White Boulevard where he practiced law.
The police said Thomas Morgan, of Spartanburg, hired Owens to handle the estate of his mother, who died in January 2013.
Morgan said, "I wanted all the T's crossed, all the I's dotted, so I decided to get a lawyer so it would all be legal."
A friend gave Owens' number to Morgan.
"He agreed to meet with me," Morgan said. "I met with him, told him what I wanted to do. I said I just want to keep my couple of acres here, my house that I've had and I've been paying taxes on since 1982. I said the rest of it, we'll sell and take care of mama, her bills."
Morgan said Owens told him he needed to call probate court, and he would handle everything for him.
"I thought he was on the up and up," he said.
They agreed to a retainer of $1,500, and Morgan made several payments totaling $600 between June and December 2013.
Morgan found an insurance policy for his mother, so he went to Owens' office in December to show it to him. When he got there, people at the office said Owens wasn't there and they didn't have any contact information for him.
He said he later got a call from probate court saying his appointment had been changed. Morgan said he didn't know about the appointment because his attorney hadn't told him about it. The court worker told him there was no record of him having an attorney.
Morgan then learned that Owens' license to practice law had been suspended in May 2013, before he had retained him as an attorney.
Morgan, who used to be a carpenter, says he lost everything when the economy went bad in 2003, and now he's afraid he could lose the home he has been living in.
"It's hard. Right now, it's hard for everybody to do anything. I run this little old cafe one day a week. I run concessions at the flea market on the weekends," he said.
"I'm just trying to get the estate squared away," he said. "If it's not handled correctly, I could lose where I live."
Owens received notice from the state Supreme Court in May that his license was being suspended because of failure to comply with continuing legal education requirements or for failing to pay the filing fee for 2013. The notice warned that suspended lawyers who continue to practice of law are subject to disciplinary action and could result in a finding of criminal or civil contempt.
Owens is charged with breach of trust with fraudulent intent. He turned himself in on Friday.
Owens' attorney, Robert Childs III, released a statement saying, "Mr. Owens fully cooperated with this investigation and intends to fully resolve all issues relative to his former law practice.
"He has been an outstanding member of the community and has been charged with a first offense, low level magistrate court misdemeanor of which he is presumed not guilty. Not to mitigate the professional and personal implications of such an allegation, but the maximum penalty for this offense is 30 days in jail or a $1,000 fine."
Investigators believe Owens may have victimized other clients. Anyone with information is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 888-CRIMESC.
Police said J. Kevin Owens had a rented office at 1208 John B. White Boulevard where he practiced law.
The police said Thomas Morgan, of Spartanburg, hired Owens to handle the estate of his mother, who died in January 2013.
Morgan said, "I wanted all the T's crossed, all the I's dotted, so I decided to get a lawyer so it would all be legal."
A friend gave Owens' number to Morgan.
"He agreed to meet with me," Morgan said. "I met with him, told him what I wanted to do. I said I just want to keep my couple of acres here, my house that I've had and I've been paying taxes on since 1982. I said the rest of it, we'll sell and take care of mama, her bills."
Morgan said Owens told him he needed to call probate court, and he would handle everything for him.
"I thought he was on the up and up," he said.
They agreed to a retainer of $1,500, and Morgan made several payments totaling $600 between June and December 2013.
Morgan found an insurance policy for his mother, so he went to Owens' office in December to show it to him. When he got there, people at the office said Owens wasn't there and they didn't have any contact information for him.
He said he later got a call from probate court saying his appointment had been changed. Morgan said he didn't know about the appointment because his attorney hadn't told him about it. The court worker told him there was no record of him having an attorney.
Morgan then learned that Owens' license to practice law had been suspended in May 2013, before he had retained him as an attorney.
Morgan, who used to be a carpenter, says he lost everything when the economy went bad in 2003, and now he's afraid he could lose the home he has been living in.
"It's hard. Right now, it's hard for everybody to do anything. I run this little old cafe one day a week. I run concessions at the flea market on the weekends," he said.
"I'm just trying to get the estate squared away," he said. "If it's not handled correctly, I could lose where I live."
Owens received notice from the state Supreme Court in May that his license was being suspended because of failure to comply with continuing legal education requirements or for failing to pay the filing fee for 2013. The notice warned that suspended lawyers who continue to practice of law are subject to disciplinary action and could result in a finding of criminal or civil contempt.
Owens is charged with breach of trust with fraudulent intent. He turned himself in on Friday.
Owens' attorney, Robert Childs III, released a statement saying, "Mr. Owens fully cooperated with this investigation and intends to fully resolve all issues relative to his former law practice.
"He has been an outstanding member of the community and has been charged with a first offense, low level magistrate court misdemeanor of which he is presumed not guilty. Not to mitigate the professional and personal implications of such an allegation, but the maximum penalty for this offense is 30 days in jail or a $1,000 fine."
Investigators believe Owens may have victimized other clients. Anyone with information is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 888-CRIMESC.
Read more: http://www.wyff4.com/news/spd-unlicensed-lawyer-dupes-client-other-victims-likely/24732266#ixzz2w88PThKl
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