March 1, 2023 Disciplinary Actions
The Florida Supreme Court in recent court orders disciplined nine attorneys, disbarring two, suspending six and reprimanding one.
Richard G. Chosid, 3110 NE 48th St., Lighthouse Point, suspended for six months and ordered to attend The Florida Bar’s Trust Accounting Workshop, effective 60 days following a February 16 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1963) Chosid accepted a deposit for a client into his trust account and agreed to disburse the funds at the client’s direction for a 10% fee. Chosid ultimately received $1.43 million and disbursed the funds as directed by the client. The funds were intended to secure a standby letter of credit for a third party. Chosid breached his fiduciary duty to the third party by failing to inquire further and apprise himself of the intended purpose of the funds and instead distributed them in accordance with his client’s instructions. (Case No: SC23-183)
Ian Horn, P.O. Box 691, Brandon, disbarred, effective immediately following a February 7 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1986) Horn was adjudicated guilty of one count of violating 18 U.S.C. § 1623(a), a Class D felony. Horn was sentenced to two years of supervised probation, six months of home detention, and 50 hours of community service, with additional terms of probation. Horn further stipulated that he failed to timely notify The Florida Bar of the felony criminal charges. (Case No: SC22-242)
Julio Cesar Marrero, 3850 Bird Rd., #1001, Miami, disbarred, effective 30 days following a February 27 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1988) Marrero was the subject of three separate complaints, all of which indicated that Marrero engaged in systemic and ongoing abuse of the bankruptcy and/or removal proceedings in federal court to obstruct or forestall state court foreclosures or debt collections. Marrero continued these bad faith litigation tactics in the disciplinary proceedings, where he also made misrepresentations to the referee. Marrero was sanctioned for similar misconduct before. (Case No: SC21-652)
Eduardo Julio Mejias, 283 Cranes Roost Blvd., Suite 111, Altamonte Springs, suspended for one year followed by probation for three years, effective 30 days following a February 9 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1999) Mejias engaged in a pattern of misconduct in which he neglected client matters and failed to comply with court orders. In several matters, Mejias was sanctioned by the court. (Case No: SC21-1610)
Sabine Millien-Felix, 510 27th St., West Palm Beach, suspended for 90 days, effective 30 days following a February 9 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2004) Millien-Felix was hired as general counsel for a homeowners’ association, whom she filed a civil complaint on behalf of and subsequently neglected. Millien-Felix then failed to inform the homeowners’ association, which was also assessed costs, that the lawsuit was dismissed for lack of prosecution. Just before the running of the statute of limitations, Millien-Felix refiled the case after the association terminated her representation. Millien-Felix has been repaying the costs assessed to the former client. (Case No: SC23-141)
Joshua Kelly Moran, 1792 Bell Tower Lane, Weston, suspended until such time as he answers inquiries from The Florida Bar and until further order of the Florida Supreme Court, effective 30 days following a February 17 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2012) Moran was held in contempt of The Florida Supreme Court and suspended for his failure to respond to investigative inquiries promulgated by The Florida Bar. (Case No: SC22-1545)
Daniel Wayne Perry, 4767 New Broad St., #1007, Orlando, suspended for 60 days and ordered to attend The Florida Bar’s Ethics School, effective 30 days following a February 23 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1983) Perry engaged in a pattern of misconduct during his representation of several mobile park homeowners’ associations. Perry filed frivolous lawsuits, violated the confidentiality provisions of the Florida Mediation Act, and paid attorneys’ fee sanction amounts out of his own pocket to convince clients to further litigate their cases. Perry’s conduct created conflicts of interest with his clients. (Case No: SC22-391)
Susan Rachel Torres, 7750 SW 117th Ave., Suite 202B, Miami, publicly reprimanded, effective immediately following a February 9 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2011) Torres failed to timely correct a mistake in an appeal and failed to supervise a nonlawyer assistant in an immigration matter causing an order of deportation to become final. Torres has refunded all the fees paid to her in this matter. (Case No: SC23-155)
Raegan S. Yunger, 125 S. Swoope Ave., Suite 210, Maitland, suspended and a referee was appointed to recommend discipline, effective 30 days following a January 26 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2005) On January 19, 2023, Yunger pled guilty to one count of manslaughter, a second degree felony, and one count of possession of methamphetamine, a third degree felony. The trial court adjudicated Yunger guilty and sentenced her to 10 years in the Florida Department of Corrections. (Case No: SC23-116)
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 111,000 members of The Florida Bar. Key discipline case files that are public record are posted to attorneys’ individual online Florida Bar profiles. To view discipline documents, follow these steps. 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 reapply 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. Attorneys suspended for periods of 91 days and longer must undergo a rigorous process to regain their law licenses including proving rehabilitation. Disciplinary revocation is tantamount to disbarment.
