Bronx attorney loses Wisconsin law license for not paying taxes

A New York lawyer has lost his Wisconsin law license for three months for not paying his taxes.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court suspended Leroi John Andrews’ law license starting on Oct. 6 as reciprocal discipline for punishment he received in New York.

In 2015, a New York court suspended Andrews’ New York law license for three months for failing to file his 2007 income-tax return. Andrews was found guilty of the misdemeanor crime in 2013. He was sentenced to a one-year conditional discharge and ordered to pay more than $68,000 in tax penalties and interest.

The Wisconsin Office of Lawyer Regulation said Andrews never notified the organization about his New York suspension. In July, the Wisconsin Supreme Court issued an order directing Andrews to show cause as to why identical discipline would be unwarranted, but Andrews never responded.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court decided the same three-month suspension was appropriate for Andrews’ misconduct. The court also ordered him to comply with the conditions of the New York disciplinary order, which require him to submit proof that he’s entered into agreements with the IRS and New York state tax authorities to pay his outstanding debts. The justices did not impose costs of the disciplinary proceeding.

Andrews was admitted to practice law in Wisconsin in 1988. His license was suspended in 1992 for failing to pay bar dues and again in 1995 for failing to comply with continuing legal education requirements. His Wisconsin license remains administratively suspended.

Andrews lists an address in the Bronx in State Bar of Wisconsin records, but he does not provide a phone number or email address.

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