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AT LEAST THREE CLIENTS of Little Rock lawyer Keith Moser are worried he might have taken money from their trust accounts before disappearing last month to avoid a 10-year federal prison sentence.
A former partner of Moser's, attorney Scott Fletcher of Little Rock, said three of Moser's clients have come to him alleging a total of $732,000 is missing from their accounts. One client claims $16,000 is missing; another, $250,000; and a third, $466,000.
Fletcher said he's looking into the matter, but nothing has been confirmed yet.
The U.S. Attorney's Office In Little Rock, which in January charged Moser with tax fraud, wouldn't comment on the allegations of missing money.
Meanwhile, no one claims to have heard from or seen Moser since early February.
Moser was scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Michigan on Feb. 17 to plead guilty to money laundering, obstruction of justice and the tax fraud charge that had been transferred from Arkansas. His wife, Valerie Moser, told Arkansas Business that he had agreed to a 10-year sentence. But he never showed up for court.
Moser's attorney, Chuck Banks of Little Rock, said he hasn't heard from Moser since before the scheduled hearing date. Banks also said he didn't know anything about the allegation of missing client money.
As government officials are trying to track down Moser, a steady stream of jilted clients have made their way to the courthouse to sue Moser and his dissolved law firm for a variety of claims ranging from breach of contract to fraud.
Another of Moser's former law partners, Barry Jewell, is bracing himself for more lawsuits.
"I think (Moser's former clients are) trying to pull me in because Keith's gone," Jewell said. "I'm going to end up getting sued by several of Keith's clients. It's frustrating, guilt by association.
Jewell has his own lawsuit pending against Moser and their former firm in an attempt to audit it. Jewell alleged in his 2003 lawsuit that Moser and Fletcher each collected more than $150,000 for work performed at the firm that never passed through the firm's general account.
Moser and Fletcher have denied the allegation. And Fletcher filed a counterclaim against Jewell alleging fraud, negligence and breach of contract.
But with Moser on the...