Disgraced Georgia Attorney Working on Possible Plea

A local attorney accused of forging legal documents and practicing law without a license has been in talks with prosecutors in Columbus and Phenix City about a possible plea agreement on charges of theft and forgery, and has begun paying restitution to the clients he deceived, his defense lawyer said Friday.

Elliott J. Vogt, 33, faces new charges in connection with his fraudulent practice in Phenix City, including accusations he forged the signature of a probate judge on an order for an estate. He was indicted recently on four counts in Russell County, Assistant District Attorney Buster Landreau said.

The indictments marked the latest salvo in an unusual case in which Vogt allegedly established a phony partnership and took elaborate measures to fool his clients about the status of their cases. The Georgia Supreme Court disbarred Vogt this week, citing a 2009 case in which he “invented hearing dates” and provided a forged order to a client in a legitimation case involving custody. A 2003 graduate of the University of Alabama School of Law, Vogt also was disbarred in Alabama last year.

Defense attorney Neal J. Callahan said Friday that Vogt already has made about $25,000 in restitution to his clients.

“I would say that, under the circumstances, he’s trying to get his life back together and trying to come to grips with the new realities that he’s facing,” Callahan said.

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Disgraced Attorney Elliott J. Vogt Working on Possible Plea Deal