Troy attorney admits to committing illegal acts in handling court case

SIDNEY — Attorney Christopher Bucio of Troy pleaded guilty to felony unauthorized use of property in a 2010 court case.

Bucio, 37, waived a Shelby County grand jury’s consideration of allegations against him and entered his plea in county Common Pleas court before Visiting Judge Timothy Campbell of Greene County.

Matthew Donahue, an assistant Ohio attorney general, was special prosecutor in the case.

According to the statement of facts in the case, Bucio acted illegally in August 2010 while handling the case of a Shelby County woman.

“In securing a fee for representing (the woman) on felony charges pending against her, the defendant knowingly obtained and used that parcel of land without the (woman’s) consent for the purpose of obtaining the full value of it for his personal benefit and the benefit of his law firm,” according to the statement.

The incident involved 22 acres of land.

In exchange for his plea, prosecutors agreed they would not file or seek to file other charges related to the representation of the woman “or the issues directly arising out of it which have been investigated by the special prosecutors.”

What Bucio admitted to is considered a “community control offense” because the conviction did not involve a felony, according to a hand written addition to the plea form.

However, the charge is a fourth-degree felony and the maximum penalty is 18 months in prison and a $5,000 fine. A sentencing date was not set during Wednesday’s hearing.

An attorney general’s office spokeswoman said the attorneys do not comment on cases prior to sentencing.

David Greer of Dayton represented Bucio, who was with the law firm of Roberts, Kelly and Bucio.

Earlier this year, a former firm partner, Joshua Albright, 29, was convicted in Miami County on one count of unauthorized use of property for theft of client funds from the law firm.

Albright was sentenced to 90 days in jail as part of a community control sanctions. Albright also pleaded guilty in a Shelby County case and was ordered to serve a consecutive 90-day sentence.