Des Plaines attorney charged with misconduct over deceased client’s trust funds, spent $57,000 for personal use in Illinois

On Friday, September 2, 2022, the Administrator of the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC) filed a three-count complaint before the Hearing Board alleging Respondent Des Plaines attorney Karen Linden Boscamp of engaging in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation; filing a false pleading and dishonesty, and false testimony in ARDC investigation.

The case is titled In the Matter of Karen Liinden Boscamp, which was brought by Jerome Larkin, Administrator of ARDC, by his attorney. Case No. 2022PR00070.

The charges cited Boscamp’s violation of Rule 3.3(a)(3) and Rule 8.4(c) of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct, which state:

 A lawyer shall not knowingly offer evidence that the lawyer knows to be false. If a lawyer, the lawyer’s client, or a witness called by the lawyer, has offered material evidence and the lawyer comes to know of its falsity, the lawyer shall take reasonable remedial measures, including, if necessary, disclosure to the tribunal. A lawyer may refuse to offer evidence, other than the testimony of a defendant in a criminal matter, that the lawyer reasonably believes is false.

It is professional misconduct for a lawyer to engage in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation.

Count I involves the Respondent’s conduct of knowingly using a total of $57,000 of funds belonging to a client’s trust without authority and for her own purposes. Count II is for Respondent’s conduct of filing an affidavit in which she stated that she did not receive any payments from the client’s trust for trustee fees between 2014 and 2016, which Respondent knew was false as she received $15,100 from the trust. Count III relates to the Respondent’s conduct of providing false testimony during an ARDC investigation.

The Administrator requests that “this matter be assigned to a panel of the Hearing Board, that a hearing be held, and that the panel makes findings of fact, conclusions of fact and law, and a recommendation for such discipline as is warranted.”

 Ms. Boscamp practices in Des Plaines, Illinois. She studied at DePaul University School of Law, and she has been licensed in Illinois. Her info can be found on facebook.com here.

A copy of the original filing can be found here.