April 1, 2020 Disciplinary Actions
The Florida Supreme Court in recent court orders disciplined 11 attorneys, disbarring two, reprimanding two, admonishing one, placing one on probation and suspending six.
Gerald Brett Berg, 1350 Main St., Suite 1113, Springfield, Mass., public reprimand, effective immediately following a February 13 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1977) Berg represented both the buyer and seller in a real estate transaction in which the seller provided the financing to the buyer. At closing, the buyer discovered that the terms of the loan substantially favored the seller. Berg acknowledged the conflict and requested the buyer execute a waiver of conflict of interest, which she refused to do. The buyer did not receive the representation that she should have received through independent counsel. This is a reciprocal discipline action based on the order of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers of the Supreme Judicial Court. (SC19-1390)
Anthony Gilbert Bossone, P.O. Box 2194, Palm Harbor, suspended until further order of the court effective 30 days from a February 12 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1989) Bossone failed to respond to an official Bar inquiry so the Bar filed a Petition for Contempt and Order to Show Cause with the Supreme Court of Florida. The court issued an Order to Show Cause to Bossone, but he failed to respond. (Case No. SC19-1827)
Richard Luther Bradford, P.O. Box 6999, Brandon, disbarred, effective immediately following a December 30 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1995) Bradford was held in contempt of the court’s April 11, 2019, order for failing to notify clients, opposing counsel, and tribunals of his suspension. (Case No. SC19-1906)
Sonya Charmaine Davis, 6356 Cypress Gardens Blvd., Winter Haven, admonished, effective immediately following a February 13 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2001) Davis, who was hired to replace the counsel of record in a client’s pending dissolution of marriage, sent a Joint Motion for Substitution of Counsel to the counsel of record, who declined to sign the motion without a hearing. After three months, Davis had not followed through, so the client terminated Davis’s representation. Davis failed to timely respond to the Bar’s written inquiries. (Case No. SC19-1447)
Amie Katherine Dilla, 3219 Audubon Ct., Tarpon Springs, suspended until further order of the court effective March 1. (Admitted to practice: 2010) Dilla failed to respond to an official Bar inquiry so the Bar filed a Petition for Contempt and Order to Show Cause with the Supreme Court of Florida. The court issued an Order to Show Cause to Dilla, but she failed to respond. (Case No. SC19-1827)
Howard Hunter Ellzey, Jr., 4807 U.S. 19, Suite 202, New Port Richey, public reprimand and probation for three years effective immediately following a February 20 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2007) Ellzey was arrested for DUI and refusal to submit to testing. He was charged with felony driving under the influence of alcohol, his third offense within 10 years. Ellzey pled guilty to misdemeanor DUI and misdemeanor refusal to submit to testing and was adjudicated guilty of both charges. Ellzey completed the terms of his criminal probation. (Case No. SC20-173)
Eric Charles Feasley, 3777 Countryside Rd., Sarasota, suspended for 45 days effective 30 days from a February 20 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2009) Feasley failed to comply with the terms and conditions of his probation, specifically he failed to comply with his Florida Lawyers Assistance, Inc., contract. (Case No. SC19-167)
Mark S. Scott, 600 Coral Way, FL 12, Miami, suspended until further notice effective 30 days from a February 3 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1998) On November 21, 2019, at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, a jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict against Scott on two felony counts, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and conspiracy to commit bank fraud. (Case No. SC20-160)
Nathaniel H. Speights, P.O. Box 33152, Washington, D.C., disbarred effective immediately following a December 24 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1976) Speights was held in contempt of the court’s order dated April 18, 2019, for failing to notify clients, opposing counsel and tribunals of his suspension. This is a reciprocal disciplinary action based on the order of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. (Case No. SC19-1890)
Sabrina Starr Spradley, 207 Tropic Isle Drive, Apt. 107, Delray Beach, suspended for three years effective immediately following a February 11 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2009) Spradley was held in contempt of the court’s orders dated March 28, 2018, and April 25, 2019, for failing to notify clients, opposing counsel, and tribunals of her suspension. Spradley also failed to comply with the conditions of her suspension including paying restitution and contacting Florida Lawyers Assistance, Inc., for an evaluation. (Case No. SC19-1954)
Jeffrey Robert Thibault, P.O. Box 342434, Tampa, suspended effective 30 days following a February 10 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2011) Thibault misappropriated client funds, failed to communicate and act with reasonable diligence, and failed to respond to The Florida Bar.
As an official arm of the Florida Supreme Court, The Florida Bar and its Department of Lawyer Regulation are charged with administering a statewide disciplinary system to enforce Supreme Court rules of professional conduct for the more than 108,000 members of The Florida Bar. Key discipline case files that are public record are posted to attorneys’ individual online Florida Bar profiles. Information on the discipline system and how to file a complaint are available at www.floridabar.org/attorneydiscipline. Court orders are not final until time expires to file a rehearing motion and, if filed, determined. The filing of such a motion does not alter the effective date of the discipline. Disbarred lawyers may not re-apply for admission for five years. They are required to go through an extensive process that includes a rigorous background check and retaking the Bar exam.
