In the past I have posted about some of Regent University Law School’s less than illustrious graduates, including Monica Goodling in connection with the Justice Department’s firing of U. S. Attorneys. Now locally, another Regent Law graduate, Troy Titus, is getting justified publicity. Sadly, it is long overdue and had the Virginia State Bar and FBI acted sooner, a number of victims might never have been swindled out of their money. Troy Titus, son of the former dean of Regent Law School could be most charming and always wore his religion on his sleeve - most likely to reel in the trusting and unwary. Of the many attorneys I have know and done transactions with over the past 30 years, it is ironic that the ones, in my opinion, who are the most unethical and dishonest are all graduates of Regent Law School. In my opinion, they are modern day snake oil merchants and are anything but true Christians. When an attorney starts talking about religion while seeking to provide legal consultation, my advice is hold on to your wallet and run!! Here are some highlights of this Regent Law graduate put his legal training into action (http://hamptonroads.com/2008/02/titus-touch-fbi-investigating-popular-lawyer-and-asset-protection-guru):
VIRGINIA BEACH - Josephine Bodmer is 84 years old and broke. A lawyer took all of her savings. She remembers the man vividly. His name is Troy A. Titus - a handsome, charismatic, young man. Good Christian family. His father was dean of the Regent University School of Law.
He seemed smart, trustworthy. Bodmer gave him $220,000 to put into a trust fund so she could live off the $1,500-a-month annuity. For a while, the checks arrived every month, then they started arriving late. Finally, they stopped altogether. She never got her money back. Today, Bodmer lives in an assisted living apartment and depends on her children for day-to-day expenses. She is deeply embarrassed. "He took every cent I had," she said. "He destroyed me."
Tallying up the court claims, clients of Titus say they lost somewhere between $2 million and $3 million. Other clients and investors interviewed said they gave Titus money and never sued to get it back because they didn't think they could recover their money. The Virginia State Bar revoked Titus' license for "ethical misconduct" - bouncing checks on his client trust accounts. And not just a few checks: At one point in 2004, Titus' real estate trust account was $2.5 million in the hole, according to the bar.
For several years before he surrendered his law license, Titus traveled the country giving lectures and selling DVDs, telling people how to shelter money from the taxman and courts. In one taped lecture, Titus told his audience, hypothetically, "I want to have my cake and eat it, too. I want to keep all of my assets but not have to lose them in the event that a judgment does come against me." Bodmer still doesn't understand how such a nice man could have taken her savings. "If you met him," she said, "you'd be impressed. He had so much charisma, and he was so charming. I loved him." In a videotaped lecture, Titus exudes confidence. He is dressed in a dark business suit and appears younger than his 41 years. He talks smoothly, reassuringly, without hesitations. Half a dozen former clients and investors interviewed for this story used the same word to describe him: charming.
VIRGINIA BEACH - Josephine Bodmer is 84 years old and broke. A lawyer took all of her savings. She remembers the man vividly. His name is Troy A. Titus - a handsome, charismatic, young man. Good Christian family. His father was dean of the Regent University School of Law.
He seemed smart, trustworthy. Bodmer gave him $220,000 to put into a trust fund so she could live off the $1,500-a-month annuity. For a while, the checks arrived every month, then they started arriving late. Finally, they stopped altogether. She never got her money back. Today, Bodmer lives in an assisted living apartment and depends on her children for day-to-day expenses. She is deeply embarrassed. "He took every cent I had," she said. "He destroyed me."
Tallying up the court claims, clients of Titus say they lost somewhere between $2 million and $3 million. Other clients and investors interviewed said they gave Titus money and never sued to get it back because they didn't think they could recover their money. The Virginia State Bar revoked Titus' license for "ethical misconduct" - bouncing checks on his client trust accounts. And not just a few checks: At one point in 2004, Titus' real estate trust account was $2.5 million in the hole, according to the bar.
For several years before he surrendered his law license, Titus traveled the country giving lectures and selling DVDs, telling people how to shelter money from the taxman and courts. In one taped lecture, Titus told his audience, hypothetically, "I want to have my cake and eat it, too. I want to keep all of my assets but not have to lose them in the event that a judgment does come against me." Bodmer still doesn't understand how such a nice man could have taken her savings. "If you met him," she said, "you'd be impressed. He had so much charisma, and he was so charming. I loved him." In a videotaped lecture, Titus exudes confidence. He is dressed in a dark business suit and appears younger than his 41 years. He talks smoothly, reassuringly, without hesitations. Half a dozen former clients and investors interviewed for this story used the same word to describe him: charming.
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