ORLANDO, Fla. — An Orlando attorney has been disbarred after the state said he suddenly shut down his law office and didn't pay back clients who came to him because they were struggling financially.
The victims, who asked not to be identified, said they're relieved the attorney won't be able to practice law anymore.
The former clients of Hector Pagan Jr. who said he took off with their money were looking for help with things like filing bankruptcy and foreclosures.
"Disbarment is the ultimate sanction, very rarely imposed,” said WFTV legal analyst Bill Sheaffer.
Sheaffer said disbarment is handed down for the most egregious offenses.
Records with the state bar show Pagan is accused of taking money from a fund that Sheaffer said was never meant to be spent by him in the first place because it's only meant for clients.
"He didn't return it. That's tantamount to stealing, and the Florida Bar takes that very seriously,” said Sheaffer.
Emails and letters from clients show they tried for months to find out what was going on when they suddenly stopped hearing from Pagan.
Clients said Pagan had disconnected his phone.
One client wrote that Pagan left him completely broke, saying he owes him more than $1,300.
Another client said Pagan owes him $4,500, writing that he was, "Confused, frustrated and shocked that a normal person would do something like that."
Records show in an email dated Dec. 29, 2015, Pagan wrote to a client saying his law office was closed effective immediately, but some former clients said they never heard from him again.
Records show Pagan told the state he had been injured in a motorcycle accident during that time and was remorseful for his actions.
Channel 9 reporter Samantha Manning tried getting in touch with Pagan but had not heard back.