Washington Lawyer - March 2019 - 41

DISCIPLINARY SUMMARIES
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In North Carolina, Elder was
found to have repeatedly misappropriated entrusted client funds,
followed by dishonesty and other
misconduct.
In re Jeneba J. Ghatt. Bar No.
467201. November 15, 2018. In a
reciprocal matter from Maryland,
the D.C. Court of Appeals
imposed identical reciprocal discipline and disbarred Ghatt, nunc
pro tunc to October 24, 2018.
Ghatt used her attorney trust
account to facilitate a complex
money laundering scheme that
induced investors to advance
funds in exchange for a false
promise of a full return of the
advanced fees and a future construction loan under the guise of
an escrow agreement. Ghatt
failed to safeguard funds
belonging to victims who had
been promised a construction
loan, then repeatedly misrepresented the disposition of the
stolen funds to postpone discovery of the scam.
In re Sean K. Hornbeck. Bar No.
460597. December 20, 2018. In a
reciprocal matter from
Tennessee, the D.C. Court of
Appeals imposed identical reciprocal discipline and disbarred
Hornbeck. In Tennessee,
Hornbeck was found to have
induced an investor to deposit
$5.5 million into his bank account,
which would presumably be
safeguarded as part of an investment scheme. Instead of safeguarding or investing the funds,
Hornbeck took the funds for his
own purposes and then submitted falsified bank statements
purporting to show that the
funds were still safeguarded in

his account. He also neglected
two other client matters and
solicited funds from another
attorney's client under false pretenses and deposited the funds
into his personal bank account.
In re Jack C. Huang. Bar No.
982782. December 20, 2018. In a
reciprocal matter from California,
the D.C. Court of Appeals
imposed identical reciprocal discipline and suspended Huang for
two years with fitness and full
compliance with the conditions
imposed in California. In
California, Huang was found to
have permitted his nonlawyer
employees to practice law by
meeting with clients, giving legal
advice, collecting legal fees,
drafting legal documents, and
negotiating with lenders. Huang
also took legal fees for loan modifications before completing the
agreed-upon services, contrary to
California law.
In re W. Michael Jacobs. Bar No.
433683. December 20, 2018. In a
reciprocal matter from Maryland,
the D.C. Court of Appeals
imposed identical reciprocal
discipline and disbarred Jacobs.
In Maryland, Jacobs was found
to have neglected multiple
matters, resulting in client
matters being dismissed with
prejudice due to missed statutes
of limitations. Jacobs did not
inform the client about these
developments and did not
comply with the client's reasonable requests for information
about the representation. He
also made dishonest statements
to Maryland Bar Counsel in an
effort to excuse his misconduct.

In re Joseph J. Pappacoda. Bar No.
439225. December 20, 2018. In a
reciprocal matter from Florida,
the D.C. Court of Appeals
imposed functionally equivalent
reciprocal discipline and disbarred Pappacoda, nunc pro tunc
to October 30, 2018. In Florida,
Pappacoda admitted diverting
$112,512 of client funds from his
attorney trust account to his
operating account.
In re Gene S. Rosen. Bar No.
108530. December 20, 2018. In
a reciprocal matter from Florida,
the D.C. Court of Appeals
imposed identical reciprocal discipline and disbarred Rosen, nunc
pro tunc to November 16, 2018. In
Florida, Rosen was found to have
participated in a fraudulent
scheme involving sale of land in
Costa Rica. Instead of complying
with the escrow agreements for
these transactions, Rosen failed
to safeguard the entrusted funds
and made non-permissible disbursements for a total loss to
victims of $2,500,000.
In re Luis F. Salgado. Bar No. 342444.
December 20, 2018. In a reciprocal
matter from Maryland, the D.C.
Court of Appeals imposed functionally equivalent reciprocal discipline and indefinitely suspended
Salgado with fitness and the right
to seek reinstatement after five
years or when reinstated in
Maryland, whichever occurs first. In
Maryland, Salgado admitted violations relating to the unauthorized
practice of law, neglect of a client
matter, allowing his paralegal to
sign his name on an obviously
deficient pleading, filing an asylum
application with the wrong body,
failing to deposit a client's fee in

trust, failing to keep records of
entrusted funds, and willfully failing
to file federal tax returns since 2014.
In re William G. Scher. Bar No.
430041. December 20, 2018. In
a reciprocal matter from New
York, the D.C. Court of Appeals
imposed functionally equivalent
reciprocal discipline and disbarred Scher. In New York, Scher
was found to have used
entrusted funds for his own
purposes, and then provided
dishonest explanations of his
actions to disciplinary authorities.
Interim Suspensions Issued by
the District of Columbia Court
of Appeals
In re Jonathan C. Dailey. Bar No.
448141. November 1, 2018. Dailey
was suspended on an interim
basis pursuant to D.C. Bar R. XI,
§ 9(g), pending final action on
the Board on Professional
Responsibility's July 30, 2018, recommendation of disbarment.
In re Bernard A. Gray Sr. Bar No.
955013. November 1, 2018. Gray
was suspended on an interim
basis pursuant to D.C. Bar R. XI,
§ 9(g), pending final action on
the Board on Professional
Responsibility's July 31, 2018, recommendation of disbarment.
In re Sean R. Hanover. Bar No.
1002709. December 4, 2018.
Hanover was suspended on an
interim basis based upon discipline imposed in Virginia.
In re Glenn H. Stephens III.
Bar No. 472780. November 6,
2018. Stephens was suspended
on an interim basis based
upon his failure to respond to
a Board order in a matter

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MARCH 2019

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WASHINGTON LAWYER 41
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Washington Lawyer - March 2019

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