A 71-year-old Toronto-area lawyer is facing criminal charges following a police search at his law office yesterday.

The RCMP integrated proceeds of crime unit executed search warrants at the law office of Kenneth James at 3100 Steeles Ave. W. in Concord, Ont., and at a residence at 76 Willowridge Rd. in Etobicoke on June 7. According to the RCMP, an investigation had been going on since June 2010 into the alleged laundering of millions of dollars of proceeds of crime through James and his office. It related to an international drug investigation by the RCMP’s drug section.

James is now facing charges of possession of the proceeds of crime, laundering the proceeds of crime, and fraud over $5,000.

Update: July 9, 2012
See Law Times story: Toronto lawyer facing criminal charges consents to suspension

A North York, Ont. paralegal who was charged with two counts of assaulting police and possession of hashish will wrap up his misconduct hearing at the Law Society of Upper Canada today.

Junior Ebagua, a paralegal at Ebose Legal Services, was charged with committing an offence under the Controlled Drug and Substances Act in September 2011, but failed to inform the law society of the charges and corresponding recognizance of bail, according to a law society amended notice of application filed in April.

He also failed to “provide a complete and substantive response” to several law society letters, provide “written representations and documents” requested by the law society, and provide and maintain proper books and records, the notice of application notes.

A single-member hearing panel of law society member Paul Copeland in May of last year indefinitely suspended Ebagua, following an additional one month suspension for misconduct.

“Mr. Ebagua, I hope that: (1) you manage to comply with the request for documents; and (2) for your sake, we do not see you back here again,” wrote Copeland in The Law Society of Upper Canada v. Ebagua.

But despite Copeland’s warning, Ebagua has appeared before the law society’s panel again this week. His notice of motion requesting information to defend the misconduct allegations against him is subject to a publication ban made by Bencher Virginia McLean on June 5.

But in response to that notice, the law society has filed a notice of motion seeking to strike documents attached to Ebagua’s motion for complete disclosure and his May 23 factum in which he seeks further disclosure.

Motions were heard in the matter June 4, at which Ebagua nor someone representing him was present, and wrapped up today.

On June 8, the hearing panel made a finding of professional misconduct and conduct unbecoming. The penalty phase was adjourned to July 17. The hearing panel has suspended Ebagua’s licence on an interlocutory basis, pending conclusion of the penalty phase of the hearing.

Update June 18: Fixes made to correct errors in original blog post and add information regarding publication ban and hearing finding.

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