Disbarred Brunswick lawyer captured after 18 months on run

Attorney accused of stealing from clients now in Volusia County Jail

Booking photo of Douglas Mathis

BRUNSWICK, Ga. – A former Brunswick lawyer disbarred in 2015 over allegations that he stole from clients was captured in Volusia County, Florida, earlier this month after 18 months on the run, according to a report from The Brunswick News.

Douglas Mathis, 57, was booked into the Volusia County Jail on June 5 on charges of burglary, petty theft and being a fugitive from justice. He is being held without bond.

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Court documents show Mathis was disbarred on Oct. 19, 2015, after a client reported that Mathis was wired $135,000 in advance of a closing but instead of transferring the funds to the seller, Mathis pocketed the cash and disappeared.

Mathis was also accused of keeping money from a client's trust after the client died instead of giving the client's widow the funds.

Mathis was initially arrested in Glynn County on Nov. 10, 2015, and a judge in that county determined that he should be tried on a charge of theft by deception, but when he bonded out later that month, Mathis fled, the Brunswick News reported.

He had been on the run since until he was captured in Volusia County.


About the Author

Ashley Harding joined the Channel 4 news team in March 2013. She reports for and anchors The Morning Show.

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