A Dauphin County attorney has agreed to give up his law license following allegations he violated the attorneys’ rules of professional conduct through theft, fraud and deceit.
The schemes perpetrated by Anthony Cox Jr. escalated to the point where the state attorney general’s office began trying to collect payments he had pocketed from a client trying to pay civil fines, according to a complaint filed with the Office of Disciplinary Counsel.
And after months of sending bounced checks, Cox lied about his mother dying in emails to Chief Deputy Attorney General Melissa van Eck while asking for more time to pull the money together.
In his resignation submitted Friday, Cox, who at one time worked for the law firm, Eckert & Seamans, admitted he violated 12 Rules of Professional Conduct. He also admitted he continued to practice law in violation of his temporary suspension in 2024.
Here are the highlights from the Office of Disciplinary Counsel’s 217-point complaint:
Soliciting donations from fellow attorneys
From 2022 to 2023, Cox reached out to 13 other attorneys — including a Philadelphia judge — asking for money. Cox told them he was on a trip and forgot his wallet, asking them to transfer him money through Venmo, Paypal or CashApp.
He also once asked a client for money for an Uber ride. After Eckert & Seamans fired him, he asked the client again for money to cover a copay for a relative’s surgery, and asked the client if her insurer could send her checks for legal services he performed while an employee at Eckert.
Mike Sand donations
While co-chairing the Pennsylvania Bar Association Minority Bar Committee in 2022, Cox collected donations from attorneys for a memorial resolution for Michael Sand, a
central Pennsylvania. attorney and civil rights
leader who died in 2022.
But instead of putting all the money toward its intended use, Cox pocketed some of it.
Collecting payments from Eckert & Seamans clients
Cox began working for Eckert & Seamans as an associate in 2022, but also maintained a separate business, Cox Career Consulting, according to the complaint.
Cox would take on clients through Eckert & Seamans, who would then pay Cox directly through his CashApp or Venmo accounts. Cox would then pocket the payment instead of involving Eckert & Seamans.
The complaint against Cox indicated he wrongly collected around $50,000 total from several clients through Venmo or CashApp.
Failing to report client payments to the IRS, Pa. Department of Revenue
After Eckert & Seamans fired Cox July 2023, Cox began a solo practice, “Cox Law Group” which he never registered as a business with the Pennsylvania Department of State, according to the complaint.
Cox never reported his earnings through Cox Law Group nor Cox Career Consulting to the IRS nor Pennsylvania Department of Revenue, and did not pay taxes on any income earned through Cox Career Consulting.
The Office of Disciplinary Conduct labeled Cox’s actions as commingling and said it was criminal and fraudulent behavior.
Failing to pay civil penalties on behalf of clients
A client Cox represented was ordered to pay around $22,000 to the state Board of Massage Therapy in 2022 following an investigation and revocation of their license, according to the complaint.
The client was ordered to make that payment within 30 days of the order. The client eventually paid more than $20,000 to Cox in January 2023 to be put toward the penalty and costs.
But instead of putting the money into a trust account or sending the money to the massage therapy board, Cox pocketed it, leading to months of delays and the involvement of the Attorney General’s Office.
Cox sent numerous bad checks totaling $22,203.11 to the attorney general’s office.
Cox paid the full amount owed in November 2023.
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