Robert Fitz, 75, of Westlake owes the state more than $950,000 in restitution. He was convicted in 2019 and placed on probation for five years.
The Supreme Court of Ohio suspended Robert Fitz of Westlake from practicing law for two years after he was convicted of workers' compensation fraud. The sanction was handed down on Thursday, September 8, 2022. .CLEVELAND, Ohio—The Ohio Supreme Court on Thursday suspended a Cuyahoga County attorney’s law license for two years after he was convicted of workers’ compensation fraud and disciplined for misconduct.
In 1996, Fitz obtained coverage for one company, RCF Licensing, but he stopped paying premiums for the coverage in 2003. State investigators told him that it was illegal to operate a business without coverage, according to court documents. Fitz informed the bureau that he would attempt to have the coverage reinstated.
He pleaded guilty to one count that alleged he had failed to secure or maintain workers’ compensation coverage from March 17 to June 30, 2017. Prosecutors dismissed the two other counts, according to records. The disciplinary counsel agreed that Fitz violated attorney conduct codes, including “prohibiting a lawyer from committing an illegal act that reflects adversely on the lawyer’s honesty or trustworthiness,” and “prohibiting a lawyer from engaging in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud deceit, or misrepresentation.”