On October 26, 2023, the Disciplinary Counsel filed a complaint with the Supreme Court of Ohio’s Board of Professional Conduct against Attorney Gregory Darwin Port, alleging multiple counts of professional misconduct involving misappropriation of client funds, falsifying records, and overcharging fees.

The case is entitled “Disciplinary Counsel v. Gregory Darwin Port,” with case number 2023-034.

The 18-page complaint outlines four counts of alleged rule violations against Port. Count One focuses on Port’s handling of the Estate of Jean VanPelt, for which he served as administrator starting in 2018.

According to the complaint, Port began improperly distributing funds from VanPelt’s estate bank accounts to himself and to another estate he administered starting in mid-2019. Over the next two years, Port allegedly wrote checks and transferred over $267,000 of VanPelt’s funds to his personal and business accounts as well as the unrelated estate.

When asked to provide estate bank records to beneficiaries in late 2020, Port is accused of falsifying Huntington Bank statements to conceal the distributions. He later admitted to altering the records using a PDF editing program when confronted.

Count Two centers on Port’s administration of the Estate of Stephen Renz from 2019-2020. The complaint alleges Port engaged in multiple conflicts of interest by having companies owned by himself and his wife purchase estate property at well below market value, then flipping it for a large profit. It also says Port overcharged the estate for cleanup work performed by a company run by his wife.

The remaining counts accuse Port of improperly taking all remaining funds from the Estate of Anne Sink after submitting a clearly excessive $14,000 invoice. It also alleges Port failed to accomplish the stated goals for which he charged a $9,400 flat fee to the Estate of Esther Imhoff.

If found guilty of any of the rule violations, Port faces possible sanctions ranging from fines to temporary suspension or permanent disbarment from the practice of law in Ohio. A hearing before the Board of Professional Conduct will determine the outcome.

According to Avvo, Mr. Port practiced as an estate planning attorney in Columbus, Ohio. He graduated from Capital University Law School in 1990 and obtained his law license in Ohio the same year.

A copy of the original filing can be found here.