TALLAHASSEE (Florida Record) — Imprisoned Hialeah attorney Eric Allen Waraftig has been disbarred following an Aug. 1 Florida Supreme Court order and his conviction on federal wire fraud and conspiracy charges, according to a recent announcement by The Florida Bar.
Waraftig's disbarment was effective immediately, the state bar said in its Aug. 29 announcement of the discipline and the court's order.
Florida court orders are not final until time to file a rehearing motion expires. Filing such a motion does not alter the effective date of Waraftig's suspension. Attorneys disbarred in Florida generally cannot reapply for admission for five years and must pass an extensive process that includes a rigorous background check and retaking the bar exam.
Waraftig was admitted to the bar in Florida on Sept. 22, 1999, according to his profile at the state bar website.
Waraftig, 58, currently is serving time at the U.S. medium security penitentiary in Lompoc, California, following his conviction for helping a former QVC executive use fraudulent billing schemes to steal more than $1 million from the cable shopping network, based in West Chester, Pennsylvania. His current release date is Jan. 23, 2020, according to an online inmate search.
Waraftig pled guilty in August 2018 to wire fraud and conspiracy counts in U.S. District Court for Pennsylvania's Eastern District, according to the notice of determination or judgment of guilt file with the court by the state bar.
Waraftig was indefinitely suspended following a Florida Supreme Court order issued the following month.
Waraftig was sentenced to 18 months in prison, following by three years' supervised probation, according to court documents. Waraftig also was ordered to pay more than $740,000 in restitution.
Waraftig's alleged co-conspirator, former QVC director James D. Falkowski, is serving a 30-month sentence after being convicted of embezzlement. The amount allegedly embezzled was made up of money for hotel and resort visits, travel, clothing, spas, Botox injections and other high-end amenities, according to court documents.
Falkowski, 44, is serving his sentence at the U.S. medium security federal correctional institution in Lewis Run, Pennsylvania, according to an online inmate search. His currect release date is May 21, 2020.