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| Johnie Cooper The Florida Bar |
There’s no question Starke attorney Johnie Cooper ripped off a client for $53,097, according to the Florida Bar. Now, the question is how much punishment Cooper will get.
Professionally, Cooper gave up his law license via disciplinary revocation, according to the monthly Florida Bar discipline report, which was released last Thursday. Disciplinary revocation makes any Bar discipline matters go away, but the attorney is, essentially, disbarred. Usually, the attorney requests and receives the option of applying for readmission in five years.
Cooper, 60 and admitted to the Bar in 1991, asked to be given no chance to reapply.
Disciplinary revocation does nothing to criminal charges, such as what Cooper is facing in Bradford County Court: one count of theft of more than $50,000 from a victim 65 years or older.
Cooper’s disciplinary revocation petition says he paid his victim back the $53,097 plus interest.
“I would hope that would result in some leniency,” Cooper’s attorney Robert Rush said Wednesday, “and he took that action before criminal charges were filed, I believe.”
Cooper was the attorney for George Browning when Browning tried to sell C&C Storage facility in Starke. A potential buyer couldn’t complete the deal, thus losing his $75,000 in escrow, $53,097 of which was to go to Browning. Sunshine Title Company sent a check for Browning’s money to Cooper on Sept. 17, 2018, according to court documents and it was deposited that day in Cooper’s trust account.
“Browning stated that he contacted Cooper several times about the $53,097 and Cooper would tell him the judge had not released the funds yet,” the probable cause affidavit said.
Finally, on March 3, 2020, Browning contacted Sunshine about the money and the title company showed him the checks that had been issued. The next day, Browning was in Cooper’s office demanding his money, the affidavit said. Cooper asked for two weeks to come up with the cash.
Browning went to the Bradford County Sheriff’s Office.
Rush said he guesses this case will be resolved in three to six months.
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