BULLETIN: Profiles Of Purported Attorney With AdSurfDaily Tie Removed From Cornell, Justia, Oyez Websites; Notary Public Told Washington Law Practice Board In 2005 That Kenneth Wayne Leaming Was ‘Physically And Emotionally Abusive’ And Coercive

UPDATED 2:33 P.M. ET (U.S.A.) Cornell University Law School, Justia.com and Oyez.org have removed the online profiles of Kenneth Wayne Leaming. Leaming previously had been listed as an attorney who practiced law and advertised a fee structure of up to $250 an hour from Spanaway, Wash.

Visitors were encouraged to “schedule a free introductory consultation.”

Cornell said Sunday that it would remove Leaming’s profile if he proved not to be a licensed attorney. The university began checking into the matter after it learned a man by the same name had been accused in Washington state in 2005 of engaging in the unauthorized practice of law.

The Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) said yesterday that it was continuing to research matters pertaining to Leaming. Leaming was the subject of a letter sent in 2005 by the Practice of Law Board of the State of Washington. The Law Board made a determination in December 2005 that Leaming’s conduct in cases it was investigating “constitutes the unauthorized practice of law.”

In one case, the Law Board said, a notary public accused Leaming of coercing her into “notarizing documents that resulted in the loss of her notary license.”

A final deposition of the case was not immediately available.

“When [the notary] questioned you about the legality of notarizing the documents you drafted, you were physically and emotionally abusive to her,” the Law Board wrote in its letter to Leaming, citing the notary’s allegations. “[The notary] voluntarily resigned her notary license as a consequence of the acts you directed. She has also obtained an order of protection against you.”

A purported business entity known as “AMERICAN-INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS LAW INC.,” which some AdSurfDaily members claim is providing legal representation to a group of members, is associated with Leaming, according to records.

Unlawful practice of law can be charged as a crime in the state of Washington. Leaming is not listed as a member of the state bar, and has been described by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) as a “self-described ‘recognized international lawyer'” and member of an extremist group known as the “Little Shell Pembina Band.”

The ASD case has been filled with oddities since the U.S. Secret Service seized tens of millions of dollars from the Florida-based firm in August 2008, accusing ASD in a forfeiture complaint of operating a massive Ponzi scheme.

Some ASD members have been associated with the “sovereign,” “Patriot” and tax-denial movements. The case has featured dozens of bizarre, pro-se pleadings filed by ASD members, some of whom claimed the prosecutors and judges involved in the case were guilty of crimes.

One ASD member — Curtis Richmond — has been associated with a Utah  “Indian Tribe” a federal judge ruled a “sham” after members of the bogus tribe placed enormous financial judgments against public servants and members of law enforcement in the performance of their duties. The sham tribe was known as “Wampanoag Nation, Tribe of Grayhead, Wolf Band.” Richmond was successfully sued under the federal racketeering statute for his sham activities.

Regardless, Richmond was hailed a “hero” on the now-defunct Surf’s Up forum, a pro-ASD website that had members who openly jeered and condemned prosecutors and the Secret Service. One forum member described ASD critics as “rats” and “maggots” and “cockroaches.” Some members heckled a federal prosecutor, calling him “Gomer Pyle.” One member wrote that the prosecutor should be placed in a medieval torture rack, suggesting fellow members should draw straws to determine who got the honor of turning the screw.

ASD President Andy Bowdoin said the prosecution was the work of “Satan.”

Many of the pro-se filings in the case are at odds with the public record, conflating realities that simply do not exist about matters pertaining to evidence and witnesses. Recent emails circulated by some ASD members suggest that a group of members is trying to cloud issues and intimidate victims into not filing complaints or making a claim for restitution.

ASD also is the subject of a racketeering lawsuit brought by members against  Bowdoin and attorney Robert Garner of North Carolina.

See story from Sunday.

See story from Saturday.