Wisconsin Revokes Convicted Attorney’s License

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has revoked the license of a convicted attorney

The federal indictment alleged that from March 2007 until March 2011, Attorney Sweeney devised a scheme to defraud three limited liability companies in which he held a member’s ownership interest. Attorney Sweeney approached the co-members of the companies and proposed that the companies loan $105,000 to $115,000 to a friend of Attorney Sweeney. The loan was purportedly secured by a home mortgage. Attorney Sweeney did not loan the money to his friend, but instead converted the funds to his own use.

The indictment alleged that Attorney Sweeney drew checks totaling approximately $420,000 on the companies’ checking accounts. When asked for the original promissory note, Attorney Sweeney provided a false document bearing the forged signature of his friend. The indictment also alleged that on February 14, 2013, Sweeney made a false declaration in a bankruptcy matter when he submitted a sworn “List of Creditors” that falsely listed the embezzled funds as “loans to debtor” in an effort to obtain a discharge in bankruptcy of his obligation to repay the funds he had embezzled. Finally, the indictment alleged that in March 2011, Attorney Sweeney committed identity theft during and in relation to the alleged scheme to defraud.

He pleaded guilty to the bankruptcy matter and stipulated to the misconduct

Based upon our review of the record, we accept the referee’s findings and conclusions of law in this matter and agree that Attorney Sweeney committed the five counts of professional misconduct, as alleged. We determine that the seriousness of Attorney Sweeney’s misconduct demonstrates that his law license must be revoked to protect the public, courts, and legal system from the repetition of the misconduct; to impress upon Attorney Sweeney the seriousness of his misconduct; and to deter other attorneys from engaging in similar misconduct. We further accept the referee’s recommendation that we order Attorney Sweeney to comply with the restitution order imposed on him in the federal court in the amount of $481,970, and we impose the full costs of this disciplinary proceeding on Attorney Sweeney.

(Mike Frisch)