'Tax Lady' Roni Deutch Says She's Broke, Will Close Her Firm, Surrender Law License, Plans to Cry
An embattled California attorney known as the tax lady says she is broke and is closing her law firm of 20 years, which at one point employed 200 people.
Roni Deutch also said in a press conference today that she plans to surrender her license to practice law, reports the Sacto 9-1-1 page of the Sacramento Bee.
“I want to apologize to all of my employees—these wonderful people who have lost their jobs,” she said. Asked what she planned to do next, Deutch replied: “Cry.”
Her decision follows news of a lawsuit by the state attorney general last year claiming that she had cheated clients out of some $34 million and subsequent news that she is looking at potential contempt sanctions for allegedly shredding millions of documents and violating court orders.
Fox40News says her law firm has about $10 million in debt and she has $5 million in personal debt.
Earlier coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Calif. AG Says ‘Tax Lady’ Attorney Should Be Jailed for Shredding Documents, Failing to Repay $435K”
ABAJournal.com: “Judge Freezes Assets of ‘Tax Lady’ Attorney, Appoints Receiver to Run Her $25M Law Firm”