Discipline board must review Toledo lawyer's case

7/3/2008

A Toledo attorney convicted of failing to pay more than $321,000 in federal income taxes has eluded discipline by the Ohio Supreme Court - but perhaps only temporarily.

Justices remanded the case of Joseph Weisberg to the court's grievances and discipline board for more proceedings after turning down the board's recommendation for a one-year suspension with credit for time served.

Weisberg pleaded guilty in August, 2006, to federal tax evasion and was sentenced the following February in U.S. District Court to five months in prison and three years of supervised release.

An attorney for nearly 30 years, Weisberg was indicted in July, 2005, for failing to pay federal income taxes for various years from 1989 to 2001.

The indictment said the attorney purposely concealed his personal funds from the Internal Revenue Service by keeping the profits of his law practice in his client trust account and withdrew funds to pay personal expenses, including utility costs, items from a jewelry store, and credit card debt.