Lawyer Took Charges, Failed to Produce Authorized Companies: Chesco Jury

WEST CHESTER, PA — A Chester County jury determined legal professional Joshua A. Janis stole from dozens of his shoppers by having their funds but failing to deliver the authorized companies agreed upon.

Janis, 40, was convicted by a jury on Dec. 9 of 34 counts of felony theft and numerous counts of obtaining stolen assets, according to court documents.

The defendant practiced as an attorney when he deceived shoppers from 2013-15. He faces many years in jail, claimed Chester County District Lawyer Deb Ryan’s business office these days.

In late 2015, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court suspended Janis’s law license for 5 many years, the D.A.’s office mentioned.

Janis had labored for a West Chester Regulation business, Lee A. Ciccarelli, P.C., in 2013. He resigned when it was discovered that he had been thieving income on various occasions from the organization or its consumers, the district attorney’s report stated.

He resigned and started off his have legislation observe, The Janis Legislation Firm, LLC. Above the future two decades, Janis defrauded additional than 25 clients into paying for lawful representation for a variety of conditions, these kinds of as civil disputes, own damage, underage consuming, divorce, boy or girl custody, protection from abuse, and felony defense, the D.A. described.

After Janis received the money, he either did not complete the perform essential or did the bare minimum amount, in accordance to the court information. The circumstance versus Janis mentioned that just after he obtained the revenue from his consumers, he stopped communicating with them about their cases. In some instances, he harm his clients’ authorized interests by performing opposite to their authorized position, the district legal professional said.

Choose Patrick Carmody, who presided more than the trial, revoked bail for Janis next the guilty verdict.

Janis remains in Chester County Jail, in which he awaits sentencing, officers mentioned.

Chester County Det. Gerald Davis, Jr. and Sgt. Robert Dougherty handled the investigation. Deputy District Legal professional Ronald Yen and Assistant District Legal professional John McCaul were being prosecutors for the scenario.