Ohio Lawyer Gets Community Control, Ordered to Apologize in Client Theft Case

An Ohio lawyer who reportedly has a gambling problem, according to his family, has been sentenced to five years of community control in a client-theft case and ordered to pay $17,000 in restitution and apologize in writing to his victims.

Charles Bursey II of Dayton pleaded guilty to three counts of theft and one count of grand theft concerning money taken from his clients, reports WHIO on the television station's website. He did not comment at his sentencing or respond to a request for comment from the television station.

The case began with an indictment earlier this year in Montgomery County.

Bursey is also involved in a legal ethics case concerning his handling of client funds, and was suspended by the Ohio Supreme Court in 2008 on an interim basis, according to an earlier WHIO news story.

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