Wayne Francis, the lawyer and real estate speculator captured while hiding in a Connecticut hotel room over the holiday weekend, was presented in court Tuesday on a larceny charge and held on a $2 million bond, as more complaints were filed by disgruntled clients.
Superior Court Judge Joan K. Alexander called the 46-year-old Francis a public menace and suspended his law license while investigations continue into his law practice and multimillion-dollar real estate portfolio that is under threat of foreclosure. He is charged with stealing $217,000 from one client and suspected of taking $100,000 from others under questionable circumstances.
The judge said the case record so far suggests Francis is capable of financial damage just as devastating as damage caused by violent crime.
"Financial ruin, in the court's opinion, is as damaging as other crimes," Alexander said. "He is not fit to be a lawyer. There is an imminent threat of irreparable harm to clients, the court and to future clients."
Aside from whispered exchanges with the lawyer appointed for his bond hearing, Francis said nothing. Afterward he was escorted, in handcuffs, from the courtroom.
The bond order and suspension were issued after state prosecutors and the judicial department officer responsible for disciplining errant lawyers complained that Francis has eluded their efforts to confront him for months.
Karyl L. Carrasquilla, chief disciplinary counsel, said Francis has been dodging her efforts to bring him to court to face complaints from clients who accuse him of misconduct, theft or misappropriation of their money.
New Britain State's Attorney Brian Preleski said his office has been looking for Francis since mid-April, when the Rocky Hill police department obtained a warrant for his arrest in connection with the theft of $217,000 a client gave him for a real estate closing. Preleski said his inspectors staked out court houses where Francis had cases scheduled, but that Francis failed to appear or sent another lawyer in his place.
Last week, Preleski said he ordered inspectors to go out and find Francis. They tried to track his cellular telephone, but Preleski said they had no luck until "the early morning hours Saturday" when the cellular carrier notified his office that Francis's phone had been switched on.
The inspectors traced it to the Hampton Inn in Manchester, where Francis was located but refused to leave his room, Preleski said. Preleski said Francis wouldn't budge, even after the state's attorney appeared personally to convey the gravity of the situation. Preleski said he had to get a search warrant in order to enter the room and make the arrest.
Preleski said in court that Francis was found to have been driving a car rented for him by a third party. A former business associate of Francis said last week that he had spotted Francis three times in recent weeks, each time driving different cars with different license plates.
Alexander said she was persuaded to impose a large bond because of Francis's efforts to avoid authorities. He can be freed if he posts 10 percent or $200,000 in cash, but will be confined to his home — with the exception of court appearances — and forced to wear an electronic monitoring device.
The number of complaints against Francis by clients is increasing, according to information presented in court. Four complaints against Francis are awaiting imposition of discipline. Seven more grievances have been filed and are awaiting preliminary review. Three more have been filed since his arrest was reported Sunday.
Preleski would not discuss investigations of Francis, his law practice or his remarkable, if financially fragile, real estate holdings. But sources have said other law enforcement agencies have opened or are considering investigations. Alexander ordered an audit of Francis's law practice finances and appointed Hartford lawyer James Sicilian to act as trustee of the firm.
Francis's legal difficulties appear to have grown from the remarkable portfolio of real estate, much of it low-end, that he has acquired largely since being licensed to practice law in 2004, people with knowledge of his practice said.
A former business associate said that about a year ago, Francis owned more than 50 properties — some of which were condominiums or rental properties with one-, two- and three-family units. The associate, who discussed the business relationship on the condition that he not be identified, said Francis owned nearly 100 rental units a year ago and, at one point, claimed to be collecting $100,000 in monthly rental receipts.
An examination last week of legal filings in state courts showed that Francis is a defendant in about 30 foreclosure actions by a variety of lenders. In addition, the legal records showed that Francis and his properties are the subject of collection actions by a variety of utilities. The records show that Francis appears in many cases to have purchased distressed properties with loans from private lenders.
