Hamilton lawyer accused of stealing thousands from clients

HAMILTON, Ohio (WXIX) - A veteran Hamilton attorney who also worked for more than a decade as a part-time Butler County public defender faces felony criminal charges.

Dennis Adams, 52, of Fairfield Township is accused of stealing thousands of dollars from his clients for his personal benefit, court records show.

A Butler County grand jury indicted him this week on charges related to his civil cases: grand theft, theft by deception and receiving stolen property.

The charges are not related to his criminal cases, according to Butler County Prosecutor Mike Gmoser.

The Butler County Public Defender’s Office told FOX19 NOW on Friday that Adams quit in January after working there since May 2011.

The Ohio Supreme Court suspended Adams from practicing law last fall after he failed to respond to allegations in a complaint his clients filed against him with the Board of Professional Conduct, state court record show.

The board has asked the Ohio Supreme Court to disbar Adams because he failed to respond to the allegations. He received his law license in 1997.

State court records show the complaint against Adams alleges that he:

• neglected a client’s personal injury matter
• misappropriated $20,231.74 from that client’s personal injury settlement
• misappropriated $4,849.93 from a second client’s personal injury settlement
• failed to participate in extensive civil litigation brought on by the respondent’s failure to pay a subrogation lien on behalf of a client
• failed to pay a $680.76 outstanding judgment on behalf of a client of which he was aware and had negotiated with the opposing party
• engaged in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation
• failed to cooperate in the disciplinary investigation.

Adams could not be immediately reached for comment Friday morning.

FOX19 NOW will update our coverage if he responds to our interview request.

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