Yakima attorney disbarred over misuse of client funds
By Phil Ferolito, Yakima Herald-Republic, Wash. | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
The disbarment took effect Tuesday, six months after he was suspended while the state
Vargas, 57, said Friday in a telephone interview that he may not have followed the
"There are fiduciary duties, obligations a trustee has -- very high standards -- and not all of those standards were met," Vargas said. "My career is over. It's a judiciary matter and it was put to rest. It is what it is."
Lawyer disbarments are relatively rare. Out of 2,229 complaints filed statewide against lawyers in 2013, 29 resulted in disbarments, according to the bar association website.
A complaint filed
The investigation found that Vargas wrote checks from his own trust account using the woman's money to pay property taxes on an office building he owns, pay an insurance settlement to another client and pay a doctor bill that was not for the daughter's benefit.
Vargas told investigators that he charged a
Vargas has been in trouble with the bar before. In 2006, his license to practice was suspended for two years after he pleaded guilty to drug possession and using a
He's not sure what his future holds.
"It's unclear how I'm going to proceed at this point," he said. "I'm living with my family and we're going to move forward and try to find a way to make a living."
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