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ST. LOUIS RECORD

Friday, March 29, 2024

Liberty attorney indicted by Justice Department is suspended

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Liberty attorney Robert J. Young, indicted by a federal grand jury in 2016 after first alleged to be mentally unfit to practice law, has been suspended following a Sept. 19 Missouri Supreme Court order.

Young was suspended from practicing of law in Missouri "until further order of the court," the state high court's order said. Young previously filed a waiver of a hearing over his mental capacity, according to the order.

The court's chief disciplinary counsel had filed a motion for interim suspension advising that Young maintains he is disabled from continuing to practice law by reason of mental infirmity, according to the order.

The court's most recent action in Young's case follows its August 2016 order suspending the attorney until "a determination is made as to his capacity to continue the practice of law." Young also claimed, prior to that order, that he was disabled by reason of mental infirmity.

The following November, Young's indictment by a federal grand jury for obstruction of justice over allegations he'd stolen funds intended to reimburse crime victims was announced in a news release issued by the Justice Department's U.S. Attorney’s Office for Missouri's Western District.

The indictment was returned Nov. 2 under seal by a grand jury in Kansas City and was made public the following day after Young was arrested and made his initial court appearance, according to the news release.

Young was alleged to have received more than $62,000 from the family of a criminal defendant to make restitution in the defendant’s case, according to the release.

Young's client had himself been indicted by a federal grand jury and convicted of mail fraud in connection with the embezzlement of funds from his employer, according to the release. "Young allegedly engaged in a scheme to spend restitution funds to purchase a motorcycle for himself, to make numerous cash withdrawals, to make rent payments and to make retail purchases," the release said.

During the scheme, Young allegedly made numerous transfers of the restitution funds from the trust account to his business account, according to the release, and the total amount of restitution was later paid.

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