The Virginian-Pilot
©
VIRGINIA BEACH
A judge on Tuesday awarded $330,000 to a Portsmouth man who was victimized by former Virginia Beach lawyer Troy A. Titus.
The victim, Howard Keesler, gave Titus $200,000 to invest in a house in Virginia Beach's North End in 2004. He did not get a deed in return or any other form of collateral.
Two years later, Keesler demanded his money back. Titus gave him only $20,000. Keesler then sued Titus in March 2007. Titus did not respond to the lawsuit.
The case was scheduled for trial Tuesday in Virginia Beach Circuit Court, but Titus did not show up to defend himself. As a result, Circuit Judge Edward W. Hanson Jr. entered a default judgment against Titus for $180,000 in compensatory damages plus $150,000 in punitive damages.
Keesler's lawyer, Frank J. Driscoll Jr., withdrew accusations against Titus' former law partner, Kristina M. Cardwell. The lawsuit accused both Titus and Cardwell of perpetrating a fraud against Keesler.
Under Virginia law, by not contesting the lawsuit, Titus admitted that the accusations are true.
The Virginia State Bar revoked Titus' law license in 2005 after he bounced 71 checks worth $3.3 million. Since then, lawsuits filed by former clients and investors have accused Titus of taking more than $2 million.
So far, total judgments against him have totaled $1.9 million.
Collecting those judgments has proved difficult. Titus say s he has no money. Several creditors have filed garnishments against his bank accounts and paychecks, only to find nothing, or nearly nothing.
Two former Titus clients have received $50,000 each - the maximum possible payment - from the Virginia State Bar, which partially reimburses victims of dishonest lawyers who can't get compensation elsewhere. A third claim for $50,000 is pending from another Titus client.
After losing his law license, Titus worked for a while as a sales manager for a Norfolk car dealer. He left that company in February after a lengthy story about his misconduct as a lawyer appeared in The Virginian-Pilot.
That story prompted the Virginia State Bar to consider changes to protect clients from dishonest lawyers. Bar President Howard Martin, a Norfolk lawyer, has proposed random audits of lawyer trust accounts. Eleven states, including North Carolina, already have such a program.
Titus has not been charged with any crimes. The FBI is investigating.
One more major lawsuit is pending against Titus. In that case, a Virginia Beach couple says Titus and Cardwell defrauded them of $300,000 in a complex real estate swindle.
The couple, Glenn and Shirley Sawyer, seek $300,000 in compensation plus $1 million in punitive damages.
Titus has not answered the lawsuit. Cardwell has denied any wrongdoing.
The case is scheduled for trial in May.
Marc Davis, (757) 222-5131, marc.davis@pilotonline.com
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Not charged yet??
Why on earth hasn't this loser been charged?? Each of these articles tells another story of Titus cheating people. He's not even bothering to show in court. He's thumbing his nose at the system that he used to be a part of and he's laughing at everyone because he knows that this will eventually go away and he'll still be free to lie and cheat again.
Bay Chevrolet
Hey Ed,
It’s Bay Chevrolet… Just imagine handing over your personal info to TT prior to your next automobile purchase. I’m sure it’s safe! …
Virginian Pilot's earlier statement on Troy's Employment
With your permission Marc, I will repost your earlier response on providing Mr. Titus place of employment. (He no longer works at the dealership as I understand.)
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
From: Marc Davis (Marc.Davis@pilotonline.com)
Sent: Sun 2/03/08 4:05 PM
Thanks for your note about the Troy Titus story. I understand your
concern about where Troy Titus is currently working. I weighed whether
to include that in the story. In the end, my editors and I decided it
was not relevant to telling the story of Mr. Titus' misdeeds. The story
was about the damage Mr. Titus did to people as a lawyer and an
investment adviser. The car dealership did not play any role in those
dealings, and to name the business would simply tar it by association.
There has been no accusation against the dealership in any of these
cases. All those cases precede his work there.
Again, thank you for your note and for reading The Pilot.
Marc Davis
Titus
What goes around comes around. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you! I guess he thought "Daddy" could get him out of this jam, too. Greed and trying to be "something" or "someone" of importance has caught up with him. DO NOT put him in jail or prison because he does not deserve such a good life (a dry place to eat, sleep, watch TV and exercise, etc); he should have to be a servant to everyone he wronged and receive the scraps from the table as pay. Assets are probably in the name of other family members and in other countries. I pray the system will assist those who have lost their life savings and possibly all of their physical possesions.
Good luck...
Good luck getting the money. He didn't show up for a reason. On paper he probably has no money to extract or garnish from. Typical crook. He needs to go to jail for the rest of his life and meet Bubba.
Kind of funny...
That some people can get away with stealing millions of dollars, and never face jail time, but others can steal a pack of cigarettes and end up in jail. Goes to show, it's not what you know it's who.
Formality = NOT A PENNY!
So many lies, millions of dollars stolen, all by a "charming" (thief) silver spoon fed man. A father of multiple children (ANOTHER GREAT ROLE MODEL). This was simply a formality and a waste of a lot of people's time. NOT A PENNY will ever be seen from this judgment. Ask everyone else whom he owes money. He is a master of asset protection and I am sure he is sitting on some hidden assets. Karma will smack him in the face, I just hope I am there to see it! Sadly the only people who will suffer from that will be those innocent, his children and family, the victims of his mastery whom now are broke or trying to settle pending litigation against them. Those pearly white gates will be closed and I take comfort in knowing that. Troy, this is your life, are you who you want to be, is it everything you dreamed it would be?
IF the Pilot REALLY wanted to serve the public.....
.....the Pilot would publish the name of the Norfolk car dealership where Titus works as a sales manager.
TItus is a crook.
He should be charged with many various forms of Lying and Stealing. Then he should be put in prison...to enjoy the fruits of his labor.