The State Bar of California announced December disciplinary actions against five attorneys for serious ethical violations, including misappropriating $180,000 in church funds, mishandling of over $500,000 received from an EB-5 visa applicant, falsifying trust account compliance reports, ignoring court orders, and colluding to evade a real estate foreclosure injunction, the Office of Chief Trial Counsel announced on December 30, 2025. 

“These cases reflect serious breaches of trust and integrity in the legal profession,” said Chief Trial Counsel George Cardona. “Attorneys hold positions of great responsibility, and when they misuse that trust—whether by misappropriating client funds, lying under oath, or defying court orders—the harm to the public and the justice system is profound. The State Bar will continue to pursue discipline to protect the public and maintain confidence in the legal system.” 

Church Funds Misappropriation and False Statements 

On December 12, 2025, the State Bar Court Hearing Department recommended the disbarment of Tustin attorney Pal Anthony Lengyel-Leahu (SBN 147153) for serious ethical violations. Lengyel-Leahu represented one faction of a church corporation in a nearly decade-long dispute over control of the church’s assets and operations. Although that faction was ultimately found not to be the legal property owner, Lengyel-Leahu continued to act on its behalf without authorization and falsely told a title company he represented the property owner to withdraw a lis pendens. These misrepresentations enabled the ousted faction to secure multimillion-dollar loans against church property. Lengyel-Leahu later received nearly $182,000 in church funds intended for future litigation and intentionally misappropriated nearly all of it by transferring approximately $180,000 from his client trust account to his brother-in-law for a personal business loan. Lengyel-Leahu never repaid the money, failed to keep it in a trust, and ignored repeated requests for an accounting from the church’s lawful leadership. Lengyel-Leahu also willfully disobeyed two superior court discovery orders in related civil litigation. The State Bar Court found him culpable on all seven counts of misconduct and recommended disbarment along with restitution of $181,734.96 plus interest.  

Client Trust Account Violations 

On December 1, 2025, the State Bar Court approved a stipulation to disbar attorney Katherine Ngoc Nguyen (SBN216869) of Westminster. In the agreement with OCTC, Nguyen pleaded nolo contendere to egregious misconduct spanning nearly a decade. Between 2002 and 2016, Nguyen failed to pay sufficient state and federal income taxes, accruing tax debts of at least $110,515 to the Franchise Tax Board and $619,577 to the IRS, and beginning in 2015 usedher client trust account to shield funds from tax levies. From January 2015 through August 2024, she issued approximately 807 checks from her client trust account for personal and business expenses, misappropriated more than $65,000 in settlement funds from at least 11 clients, and repeatedly delayed paying clients the shares of their settlements to which they were entitled. Nguyen also falsely certified compliance with the State Bar’s Client Trust Account Protection Program in 2023 and 2024, affirming under penalty of perjury that she maintained required ledgers and reconciliations when she did not. The stipulation will soon go before the California Supreme Court which has final say on approving the recommended disbarment.  

Scheme to Evade Court Order and Mislead Buyer 

On December 12, 2025, the State Bar Court recommended suspending two attorneys—Gregory Thomas Royston (SBN 213863) of Rolling Hills Estates and Raymond George Robinson (SBN 94408) of Park City, Utah—for serious misconduct tied to a real estate dispute. Royston was under a superior court order that barred him from foreclosing on a property, but instead of following the order, he worked with Robinson to get around it. Royston transferred the property interest to Robinson’s company so they could complete a foreclosure sale and later sell the property for over $1.2 million. Both attorneys were found in contempt of court for violating the injunction against foreclosure, with the court finding thattheir actions were intentional and caused significant harm to the justice system. Royston also misled a buyer by failing to disclose that the property was tied up in litigation and subject to a court order. Robinson, who the State Bar Court found played a smaller role in the collusive scheme to get around the foreclosure injunction, also broke ethics rules by entering into a business deal with his client and mismanaging his client trust account. The State Bar Court recommended a 15-month suspension for Royston and a 12-month suspension for Robinson.  

Mishandling of EB-5 Visa Funds  

On December 5, 2025, the Office of Chief Trial Counsel filed a notice of disciplinary charges against Dana Point attorney Marilyn Rose Thomassen (SBN 166309) alleging serious misconduct in multiple client matters. Thomassen is accused of breaching her fiduciary duty as an escrow agent for an EB-5 visa applicant who entrusted her with $500,000 for investment (as required for program eligibility) and $45,000 for administrative fees, then misappropriating the $45,000 instead of holding it in trust. OCTC alleges that Thomassen failed to perform with competence by ignoring a United States Citizenship and Immigration Services request for further evidence and failing to pursue necessary steps for consideration of the client’s EB-5 visa petition, which was ultimately denied. Despite contractual obligations, Thomassen did not return the client’s $545,000 and later faced civil and SEC judgments exceeding $2 million that remain unpaid. Additional allegations include acts of moral turpitude for repeatedly issuing 83 checks from her client trust account over a two-week period knowing there were insufficient funds, failing to refund unearned fees, and failing to supervise a disbarred attorney who provided legal services to timeshare clients.  

You can search for State Bar Court records and documents related to attorney discipline matters using the court’s Case Search feature. Input either the case number (you must add SBC to recent case numbers) or the attorney’s name (last, first and middle). 

Attorney discipline matters are investigated and prosecuted by the State Bar’s OCTC, acting on behalf of the public. The attorney is presumed innocent of the allegations unless the State Bar Court finds the attorney culpable by clear and convincing evidence. 

The State Bar Court oversees disciplinary proceedings and adjudicates charges filed by OCTC. The State Bar Court rules on whether an attorney has committed professional misconduct and may recommend that an attorney be suspended or disbarred. The State Bar Court’s recommendation is transmitted to the California Supreme Court, which determines whether to impose the recommended discipline. See rule 9.18, California Rules of Court. 

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The State Bar of California’s mission is to protect the public and includes the primary functions of licensing, regulationand discipline of attorneys; the advancement of the ethical and competent practice of law; and support of efforts for greater access to, and inclusion in, the legal system. www.calbar.ca.gov