State panel yanks law license of former judge
Deborah Riga enters federal prison in two weeks on mail fraud guilty plea
Post-Tribune (IN)
September 11, 2008
Just two weeks before she is scheduled to report to federal prison, the state Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission has suspended the law license of former Schererville Town Judge Deborah Riga.
The move is a prelude to the court permanently revoking her license following her sentence of 15 months in prison on a mail fraud conviction, said Donald Lundberg, executive secretary to the disciplinary commission.
Riga is to report to prison Sept. 23.
Riga pleaded guilty in 2006 to federal mail fraud charges stemming from charges that she improperly profited from the fees of traffic defendants she sentenced to take classes at a driving school owned by a relative, cheated the town out of rent from the town court and took kickbacks from a counseling contractor who served her court.
Her sentencing was delayed for two years following her plea deal, coming only after she testified at the corruption trial of her former ally, Lake County political fixer Robert Cantrell, in June. Cantrell was convicted and faces a lengthy prison sentence.
Riga testified that Cantrell bragged about money he was making from a counseling firm run by Nancy Fromm, who pleaded guilty to fraud charges and also testified against Cantrell.
Since entering her plea, Riga has moved to Sarasota, Fla. Her attorney, Nick Thiros, has declined to say where she works, but asked Judge Philip Simon to give her a lenient sentence so she could complete a management training program with a company there.
The state this year suspended the licenses of 34 attorneys for ethics violations, Lundberg said. Many state bar associations will refuse to license lawyers who have been disbarred in other states, he said.
State bar association records do not list Riga as a licensed attorney in Florida.
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