Disbarred Florida Attorney / Closing & Title Agency Owner Faces 54 Criminal Charges; Bond Set At $3M

(original post 1-13-08)
In Vero Beach, Florida, TC Palm reports:

• Police arrested former attorney Ira C. Hatch Jr. late Friday and charged him with racketeering, money laundering, grand theft and operating as a money transmitter without proper registration. Officials with the Vero Beach Police Department, State Attorney's Office and local FBI office went to serve Hatch, 60, with warrants involving 54 criminal counts at his home Friday morning, but he was in Winter Park, said Vero Police Lt. Kevin Martin. Through arrangements made with his Viera-based attorney, Greg Eisenmenger, Hatch turned himself in at the police station at 4:55 p.m. He is in the county jail on $3 million bond [...] .

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• Hatch owned Coastal Escrow Services Inc. of Vero Beach and Coastal Title Services of Port St. Lucie. The companies closed over Labor Day weekend, leaving real estate companies and individuals without what police estimate is more than $4 million in deposits. [...] Officials have estimated there are at least 500 potential victims nationwide of Coastal Escrow.

For more, see Former Vero Beach attorney Hatch jailed; bond set at $3 million.

In a related story, see Hatch bail reduction request denied.

Hatch is also involved in civil litigation against his former law partner, Kevin S. Doty. For more on this story, see Former Hatch partner in Vero Beach files countersuit to recover money. (Hatch vs. Doty - Doty answer & countersuit).

Go here for earlier posts on Ira Hatch & Coastal Escrow Services.

See Theft Of Escrow Funds I and Theft Of Escrow Funds II for other stories of trust account / escrow account theft of funds. sneaky slick escrow agents beta