Florida Supreme Court disbars Miami legal professional a 2nd time

A previous Miami immigration attorney who had been disbarred in 2013 just after a $4.3 million embezzlement from his firm has been disbarred permanently soon after the Florida Bar said he continued to practice law for two Miami corporations.

A referee’s report notes that Leonardo Roth, 60, denies that he’s completed lawful work given that his disbarment. Nonetheless, Roth submitted a long term disbarment on consent, which was recognized by the Florida Supreme Court docket.

Roth is permanently disbarred and owes the Florida Bar $1,250 in administrative expenses.

“Since his disbarment, [Roth] has labored at two different one-lawyer firms that have equally re-branded themselves as some iteration of ‘Negocios en U.S.A.’ — [Roth’s] possess model for his immigration and investment small business,” the Florida Bar wrote in its petition for contempt. “While this company requires a accredited lawyer to make filings to federal government authorities, [Roth] serves as attorney-in-reality for numerous of the firm’s consumers and enjoys managerial authority inside of these companies.”

The two companies are Salazar Dager & Associates, just lately moved to Coral Gables, and Fernando Socol, P.A.

A look for of point out on the web records demonstrates ”Negocios en USA” registered with the condition in 2011 by lawyer Jesus Aveledo, then improved its name to “Business Seminars” in 2013. All correspondence on that motion was to be directed to Fernando Socol of “Negocios en Usa — a regulation firm” at 201 S. Biscayne Blvd., Suite 905.

Which is the handle Roth registered to RM Lawyers At Regulation and the 1 that’s continue to on Roth’s Florida Bar profile.

That is also the tackle at which complaining consumer Martin Magurno mentioned he achieved Roth more than when for immigration assistance in 2012 and 2013, in accordance to the Bar complaint.

“According to [Magurno], [Roth] “gave each physical appearance that he was an immigration lawyer and/or financial investment advisor.”

According to the Bar’s petition, Socol sent an Aug. 11, 2017 letter to customers that said Roth and Aveledo had still left the agency and claimed Roth experienced just been a senior paralegal.

The tackle of “Business Seminars” changed on the 2018 condition submitting, the to start with filing after Roth and Aveledo still left Socol’s agency. The new deal with was 701 Brickell Ave., Suite No. 850 — the former address for Salazar Dager, the one which is still on the firm’s web-site and the one that however will come up if you Google the business.

That is also the handle where by Aveledo has experienced “Negocios USA” registered with the point out considering that the 2018 submitting.

“Salazar Dager & Associates, P.A. formerly held the fictitious identify “Negocios United states of america, Regulation Firm” and did enterprise below that title, at minimum right up until March 23, 2020, when the fictitious title was canceled,” The Bar petition mentioned.

Salazar Dager client German Avellaneda advised the Bar that he acquired a letter from the firm that pictured Louisiana-certified Morella Salazar-Dager, Aveledo and Roth at the top rated of the letter with “claims that the firm’s pros ‘offer[s] their understanding, attempts and working experience to clear up your legal needs, the two in immigration and small business issues.’”

Avalleneda, who compensated the organization at least $11,435, also informed the Bar he dealt only with Roth, achieved in Roth’s business at Salazar Dagar and saw Roth providing many others at the firm course on his situation. Hardly ever did Roth enable on that he was a disbarred legal professional.

In a Wednesday cellphone call with the Miami Herald, Salazar-Dager claimed Roth’s part with the Miami place of work of Salazar Dager, “was as a paralegal and business developer. He has not been performing as an legal professional or offering authorized suggestions.”

Salazar-Dager said she hadn’t witnessed the Bar petition.

Embezzlement and the first disbarment

Fernando Horigian taken care of the bookkeeping for the organization Roth experienced with Mark Rousso. The referee’s report previous Roth’s initial disbarment claims he recognized some belief account shortages in April 2008. Rousso figured out of them in December 2008, all around the time Roth understood the massiveness of the fiscal maw about to swallow their company:

The bookkeeper embezzled about $4.38 million.

“The referee noted that bookkeeper and his relatives allegedly fled to Argentina,” the referee wrote. “His whereabouts are unidentified.”

Even though acknowledging there’s no evidence either Roth or Rousso had been in cahoots with Horigian, the referee ruled that if they had finished the oversight demanded by the Bar, they could’ve restricted the damage.

Also, in seeking to make fantastic, the two did not notify some purchasers their disbursements had been delayed when they paid out other shoppers. The funds they raised to set the income back again bundled a personalized financial loan from a consumer who traded section of his believe in account credit history for a promissory observe for extra than $231,000. They defaulted on that bank loan.

The referee proposed suspension. The point out Supreme Court docket disagreed and disbarred both equally Roth and Rousso on March 28, 2013, retroactive to their Dec. 8, 2010 suspension.