Lawyer is on trial for charges he stole from a client’s estate

By The Bharat Express News 

May 27 – All charges against a suspended Scranton attorney accused of stealing $94,000 from the estate of a man for whom he was appointed co-guardian were brought to trial after a preliminary hearing on Friday.

Edward James Kaushas was charged in April with stealing money from Ronald Rowlands estate. Police said Kaushas transferred money from Rowlands’ estate account in 2018 and deposited it into several bank accounts he had. He then used the money to pay for personal and business expenses.

Kaushas was suspended from practicing law in November 2018 following an investigation by the State Supreme Court Disciplinary Board. The suspension remains in effect.

The criminal investigation began in 2019 after the Disciplinary Board notified law enforcement that Kaushas made several transfers from Rowlands’ account to his law firm’s escrow account from July through September 2018. A forensic audit later revealed the inappropriate recordings, according to a statement from the arrest.

Magistrate Judge Kipp Adcock ruled that there was sufficient evidence to hold Kaushas for trial on charges of two counts of theft by deception and one count of theft by failure to provide required funds and receiving stolen property.

In an interview after the hearing, Kaushas’ lawyer, Paul Ackourey, said Kaushas insists he is innocent.

Ackourey said Kaushas paid bills for Rowlands’ care from his own account and was reimbursed. He said the case is a matter of poor accounting and he is confident that Kaushas will be acquitted at trial.

“There were a lot of very complicated financial transactions,” Ackourey said. “It was not my intention to steal anything from anyone.”

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Lawyer is on trial for charges he stole from a client’s estate