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WILKES-BARRE — A former attorney disbarred for his disregard for the law is being sought by authorities after he failed to appear in court on charges he penned a pair of bad checks at an area supermarket.

Anthony Joseph Moses, 37, of Butler Street, Kingston, was a no-show for his scheduled trial date Monday in Luzerne County Court, prompting Judge Tina Polachek Gartley to issue two bench warrants for his arrest, according to court records.

Moses was slated to appear on charges he wrote bad checks at Price Chopper in Edwardsville in 2013.

The former attorney was disbarred earlier this year for neglect of client matters, practicing law while suspended, failing to respond to a number of requests seeking an explanation as well as a criminal conviction for crashing his Mercedes-Benz while high on Xanax and methadone in 2014.

But the situation worsened when Moses, who later withdrew the plea in exchange for admission into the county’s Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program, failed to report the incident within the 20-day window required by the state Office of Disciplinary Counsel (ODC).

Moses could not be reached Tuesday for comment.

The failure to report or respond to the ODC was a common theme throughout a 40-page disciplinary report authored by the state Supreme Court in April.

In February 2013, Moses accepted a $1,500 retainer from a client for his services, despite the county public defender’s office having already entered an appearance for the same client, the report says. When Moses failed to perform work on the matter, the client asked for the money back, but a check written to the client bounced, according to the report.

The report cites instances of similar misconduct regarding two other clients who provided retainer fees to Moses that were never returned or returned in part.

In one case, Moses was scheduled to represent a client during an extradition hearing in New Jersey. When a family member contacted Moses, the attorney said he was lost but stated he had informed a court administrator he would be at the hearing.

When the family member contacted courthouse staff, they were informed no such communication occurred. Moses never arrived and failed to appear for a preliminary hearing a week later, according to the report.

The report further alleges Moses continued to represent clients in Luzerne County Court while suspended from practicing law.

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By Joe Dolinsky

[email protected]

Reach Joe Dolinsky at 570-991-6110 or on Twitter @JoeDolinskyTL