West Long Branch Disbarred Attorney Sentenced To 7 Years In Prison For Diverting Over $100,000

Eugene M. LaVergne, 50, of West Long Branch, was sentenced Friday to seven years in a New Jersey state prison after he was convicted in October of second-degree Misapplication of Entrusted Funds and fourth-degree Contempt of Court following a week-long trial before Middlesex County Superior Court Judge Bradley J. Ferencz. at the Middlesex County Courthouse in New Brunswick.

The charges stemmed from LaVergne’s representation of an estate in litigation before Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Thomas W. Cavanagh in Chancery Court in Freehold, between July 6, 2009 and November 19, 2010. LaVergne was ordered by Judge Cavanagh to hold $200,000 in escrow in his attorney trust account pending the resolution of certain issues in the estate matter. Instead of retaining those funds in his trust account, LaVergne took approximately $108,000 from the escrowed funds making 130 cash withdrawals from the bank, in addition to using those funds to pay numerous personal bills and expenses.

The case was prosecuted by Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutors John Loughrey, Director of the Office’s Financial Crimes and Public Corruption Bureau and Melanie Falco.

LaVergne is represented by Rodger Wolf, Esq., of Pine Brook.

Related story on Patch:

Arrest Warrant Issued For West Long Branch Attorney

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