PEOPLE v. SCUNGIO, 02PDJ009 (Colo.O.P.D.J. 5-9-2002)

People v. Scungio.

No. 02PDJ009.Office of the Presiding Disciplinary Judge of the Supreme Court of Colorado.
May 9, 2002.

[1] Attorney Regulation. The Presiding Disciplinary Judge approved the parties’ Conditional Admission of Misconduct in this reciprocal discipline matter from the State of Rhode Island and disbarred Respondent, John A. Scungio, from the practice of law in the State of Colorado. Respondent was disbarred in the State of Rhode Island for making false statements of material fact to a federal agent in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001
(2002) constituting grounds for discipline pursuant to C.R.C.P. 251.5(b) and a violation of Colo. RPC 8.4(b). Specifically, respondent knowingly and willfully made materially false statements and representations to special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in which he denied that the Chairman of the Board of Tax Assessment Review received any money in exchange for arranging a reduction of the taxpayer’s property taxes when, in fact, respondent had delivered to the chairman a sum of cash which respondent had received from his client to be distributed among the chairman and others. Respondent also denied knowing how the client taxpayer had learned about and come to hire respondent for services relating to the taxpayer’s application for a tax reduction when, in fact, as respondent knew, the taxpayer had been sent to him by and at the direction of the chairman. Respondent was ordered to pay the costs of the disciplinary proceeding.