McCormick had 6 cents in his pocket

The disbarred lawyer had little when booked. His reappearance might not help his victims much

CHAPEL HILL -- John McCormick, the lawyer suspected of stealing more than $1 million from clients, had 6 cents in his pocket when he was booked into a Phoenix jail a week ago.

Several family members have visited the disbarred Chapel Hill lawyer in the days since his midnight arrest in a park.

His daughter Caitlin and half-brother Andrew Peatross each have visited him twice. His sister Lisa Beck has visited him once in the Maricopa County jail, where he is being held awaiting transport to North Carolina, said a spokesman for the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office. All the visits took place between Sunday and Thursday.

When booked, McCormick had a belt, fingernail clippers, a book, lip balm, a handkerchief, a silver-colored pen, sunglasses, a watch, "miscellaneous papers," a North Carolina driver's license and 6 cents, said Detective Aaron Douglas, spokesman for the Maricopa County Sheriff's office.

McCormick, 59, is charged with one count of embezzlement in Orange County, accused of stealing more than $802,000 from his major client, national homebuilder D.R. Horton. Overall he is suspected of embezzling more than $1 million.

Until his arrest Friday in Phoenix, the last anyone had seen of McCormick was in July 2006, when he was seen hitchhiking.

Efforts to reach Peatross and Beck on Thursday afternoon were unsuccessful.

In North Carolina, lawyers involved with the legal fallout from McCormick's legal troubles and disappearance have said his reappearance changes nothing.

Katherine Jean, a State Bar prosecutor at McCormick's disbarment, said the bar has imposed its maximum punishment. Though she would not comment directly on McCormick's case, she said lawyers are able to appeal State Bar disciplinary decisions to the N.C. Court of Appeals.

The State Bar's client security fund, which reimburses victims of dishonest conduct by lawyers, paid six claims totaling $19,952.77 at its April and July meetings, Jean said. She would not say how much money had been requested or how many claims are pending.

Orange County District Attorney Jim Woodall said Wednesday he had not decided whether McCormick will face additional charges and said he did not know when McCormick might return to the state.

As for the civil cases, it is not clear how McCormick's presence in the state will change things, said Rob Maitland, an attorney for three parties who say McCormick bilked them.

McCormick borrowed $300,000 from Shahla Rezvani days before his disappearance and told her he would make out a deed of trust as security, Maitland said.

"The basis of our lawsuit was, we assumed that John just had to disappear before he could get a deed of trust recorded," Maitland said. "I'm hoping that now that John's here, he'll go ahead and sign the deed of trust."

The trustee for McCormick's bankruptcy continues to liquidate his assets, and no creditors will be paid until that process is complete, said Stephanie Osborne-Rodgers, a lawyer for the trustee.