Supreme Court of New Jersey Disbars Attorney Stacey Dawn Wilson for Misappropriation of Client Funds

On Tuesday, July 1, 2025, the Supreme Court of New Jersey disbarred attorney Stacey Dawn Wilson, effective immediately, following a series of ethical violations detailed in a Disciplinary Review Board decision.

The case is entitled “In the Matter of Stacey Dawn Wilson,” with case no. 090583.

The court’s order struck Wilson’s name from the roll of attorneys, barred her from practicing law, and mandated compliance with rules governing disbarred attorneys. The decision stemmed from a formal ethics complaint certified by the Office of Attorney Ethics (OAE), which charged Wilson with multiple violations of the Rules of Professional Conduct (RPC).

Wilson faced allegations of knowingly misappropriating client and escrow funds, failing to safeguard entrusted funds, and engaging in conduct involving dishonesty and prejudice to the administration of justice. The complaint cited 40 instances of dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation and 38 instances of conduct prejudicial to justice, alongside recordkeeping violations and failure to cooperate with disciplinary authorities.

The Disciplinary Review Board’s April 11, 2025, decision outlined two significant client matters. In the Hodges case, Wilson represented Leonard Hodges in a 2016 personal injury lawsuit in Florida. After securing a $100,000 settlement in February 2018, she deposited the funds into her attorney trust account but failed to disburse them to Hodges, his medical providers, or a Florida law firm with a $33,333.33 lien.

Between January and December 2019, Wilson transferred these funds to her business and personal accounts, using them for expenses like employee salaries, credit card bills, and a Barbados vacation. By December 20, 2019, her trust account balance was reduced to $0.30. Wilson admitted to Florida disciplinary authorities that she had “messed up” and depleted the funds without authorization.

In the Assing matter, Wilson represented Michael Assing in a 2017 Florida personal injury case. She issued a $33,478.30 check from her trust account to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to cover Assing’s medical bills, but stopped payment on it in May 2019, despite knowing it had not been negotiated. Wilson used these funds for personal expenses, including payroll and debit card purchases, reducing her trust account balance to $0.30 by December 2019. The VA’s attempt to cash the check in July 2019 failed due to insufficient funds, and Assing sought reimbursement from the Florida Clients’ Security Fund.

Wilson’s misconduct extended to 38 bankruptcy cases filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida. She repeatedly filed deficient petitions, failing to pay filing fees or submit required documents, such as attorney compensation disclosures. These actions, intended to delay foreclosures through automatic stays, led to dismissals and injunctions against her clients. The Bankruptcy Court permanently barred Wilson from practicing before it on March 2, 2020, citing her abuse of the bankruptcy system.

Additionally, Wilson faced a disciplinary revocation from The Florida Bar, effective April 11, 2020, equivalent to disbarment, with leave to seek readmission after five years. On October 27, 2020, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Board of Immigration Appeals also disbarred her from practicing before immigration courts and related agencies. The OAE’s investigation revealed Wilson’s failure to maintain required financial records, including trust account reconciliations and client ledgers, violating RPC 1.15(d). Her lack of cooperation with the OAE, spanning May 2022 to November 2023, resulted in a temporary suspension on November 13, 2023, and a second violation of RPC 8.1(b) for not answering the ethics complaint.

The Supreme Court’s order restrained Wilson from disbursing funds in her New Jersey financial accounts, directing their transfer to the Superior Court Trust Fund. She was also required to reimburse the Disciplinary Oversight Committee for administrative costs.

The Disposition states:

“It is ORDERED that Stacey Dawn Wilson is hereby disbarred, effective immediately, and that respondent’s name be stricken from the roll of attorneys.”

According to Avvo.com, Ms. Wilson is a criminal defense attorney. She attended the Florida Coastal School of Law, graduating in 2007. She acquired her law license in New Jersey in 2008.

A copy of the original filing can be found here.