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Man says he paid lawyer, got nothing
By CARY DAVIS © St. Petersburg Times, published February 20, 2001 NEW PORT RICHEY -- Onelio Triana figured that the $12,000 he'd shelled out guaranteed him a good defense on grand theft and credit card fraud charges. Turns out, the money didn't even buy him a lawyer, Triana told a Pasco judge Monday. "I have been a victim of a fraudulent lawyer who introduced himself to me as a lawyer and, after collecting more than $12,000, filled me with lies and bad work," Triana, a Cuban immigrant who lives in Miami, said through an interpreter Monday. The man he hired, Albert Diamond of Miami Beach, was arrested Jan. 30 for practicing law without a license after he appeared in Circuit Judge William Webb's courtroom on Triana's behalf. Diamond was disbarred in 1998 for misappropriating client funds, according to state records. Now out of money, Triana, 33, said he couldn't afford to hire another lawyer to represent him at his trial this week. Webb agreed Monday to push back the trial date to give Triana time to find a lawyer and prepare a defense. Triana told the Times in an interview Monday that he is working with detectives at the Miami-Dade Police Department and plans to press charges against Diamond. Triana, a construction worker, was arrested last summer for allegedly using stolen credit cards to buy a hand-held computer and other items at the Staples in Port Richey. He told the Times that he hired Diamond on the recommendation of a bail bondsman in Miami. He said he trusted Diamond, although he thought it odd that the two never met in an office to discuss the case. Every few weeks, Triana said, they met at places like Dunkin' Donuts, Burger King and Checkers. Each time, Diamond would ask for cash payments, usually about $600, Triana said. Triana said he paid Diamond with money he borrowed from family and friends, and always asked for a receipt. Diamond never produced one, nor did he ever show him any legal papers, Triana said. "But I thought, "This man is my attorney. I should trust him,' " Triana said. "I didn't want to question him or make him mad." When Diamond was arrested last month, he said he worked for another Miami lawyer, William Stiles. In fact, Stiles is listed as the attorney of record in the case, and his name appears on all court papers filed on Triana's behalf. But Triana said he has never met Stiles. He has seen him in court twice, but Stiles never introduced himself, Triana said. "Diamond is the only person I ever talked to, and he never did anything for me," Triana said. Neither Stiles nor Diamond returned messages on Monday from a Times reporter. Local defense attorneys on Monday said $12,000 is more than twice what a case like Triana's typically would cost. The going rate for such a case, they said, would be no more than $5,000. The involvement of Diamond and Stiles in a Pasco case raises another question, attorney Peter A. Proly said. "I don't know why a Miami attorney would handle a case like this here," Proly said. "You're much better off with a lawyer who knows the local people."
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From today's Pasco Times |
