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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowA former Martinsville City Council member was suspended Tuesday from the practice of law after pleading guilty in April to seven counts of level 6 felony theft related to stealing money from clients.
The Indiana Supreme Court issued an order Tuesday, immediately suspending the law license of James Wisco, also a former attorney for Morgan County government.
On April 25, Wisco pleaded guilty to seven counts of theft as part of a plea agreement. As part of that agreement, the 15 other counts against him were dismissed. He was sentenced to four years in prison and five years on probation.
A former attorney at Foley Peden & Wisco P.A., Wisco admitted to the thefts and forgeries of over $164,000, according to court documents. An investigation into his crimes began in Dec. 2023 after several of Wisco’s clients alleged Wisco had stolen their money.
One woman said that Wisco represented her in her divorce proceedings and that she tried multiple times to get her $15,000 that was owed to her from Wisco. While Wisco gave her a check to deposit, the check was returned as having insufficient funds. Wisco gave her another check, which also bounced.
Wisco is also alleged to have forged checks containing the name of one of his firm partners.
Wisco operated his law firm in the same building as attorneys Mark Peden and Ralph Foley. Peden told investigators that although the three of them operated separate practices within the building, Wisco oversaw paying for the building’s utilities and getting mail from the post office.
Peden said he discovered Wisco had forged checks with his name on it after contacting the bank about his IOLTA Trust Account records, which he had not been receiving in the mail. The forged checks totaled just over $11,000, authorities said.
Before Tuesday’s order from the Indiana Supreme Court, Wisco had been indefinitely suspended for noncooperation with the court’s disciplinary commisison and was administratively suspended for noncompliance with the continuing legal education requirements for attorneys.
Wisco did not immediately respond to The Indiana Lawyer’s request for comment.
The case is In the Matter of James K. Wisco, 25S-DI-124.
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