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Attorney Charged With Grand Theft, Other Crimes

Evie P. Jeang Has Stipulated to Disbarment Based on Theft of Funds

By a MetNews Staff Writer

EVIE P. JEANG
suspended attorney

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced yesterday that Alhambra family law attorney Evie P. Jeang—who is on involuntary inactive status and has stipulated to disbarment—is now criminally charged in connection with the alleged theft of roughly $4.8 million from a client trust account and filing a false bank statement in court to cover up her crime.

She is charged with grand theft, grand theft by embezzlement, preparing false documentary evidence, and perjury. It is alleged that she engaged in aggravated white-collar crime.

Jeang represented Brian Daly in a divorce action in the Los Angeles Superior Court. On Aug. 6, 2015, then-Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Patrick A. Cathcart, now retired, ordered that proceeds from the sale of the parties’ Ranch Palos Verdes home be placed, at the close of escrow, in Jeang’s attorney-client trust account.

The funds were placed there but no portion was disbursed to the parties.

Remains in Jail

Jeang is in custody in lieu of putting up bail, set at $150,000. If convicted, she would face a possible prison term of eight years and eight months.

State Bar disciplinary charges were brought against Jeang on March 21. The notice of charges sets forth:

“Between September 28, 2015 and May 8, 2017, respondent knowingly and intentionally misappropriated $4.796.125.73 in Trust Funds that respondent was required to maintain on behalf of Catherine Zhang and Brian Daly pursuant to the August 6, 2015 order in the dissolution proceeding. Respondent thereby committed an act involving moral turpitude dishonesty or corruption in willful violation of Business and Professions Code section 6106.”

Signs Stipulation

On May 29, Jeang signed a stipulation, filed June 18, that says:

“Although respondent had 13 years of discipline free practice prior to the start of the misconduct, the mitigating weight of it is diminished where the misconduct is intentional and consists of multiple misrepresentations, and thus it is not sufficiently compelling to justify a level of discipline less than the presumed sanction of disbarment. Further, the significant amount of aggravation greatly outweighs the mitigation here, especially where respondent has failed to repay the full amount misappropriated. Respondent’s egregious misconduct over the course of years demonstrates a profound disregard for professional responsibilities and adherence to her fiduciary duties. Thus, no discipline other than disbarment will adequately protect the public, the courts, and the legal system.”

On July 31, the State Bar Court forwarded to the California Supreme Court the recommendation of disbarment.

Jeang was admitted to the State Bar on Dec. 3, 2002. She earned her law degree at Southwestern.