The board that disciplines lawyers in Minnesota filed a complaint Tuesday in the Minnesota Supreme Court against Paul Hansmeier, alleging that he had tried to defraud the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Minnesota by hiding or misrepresenting his assets.
Hansmeier has 20 days to respond to the complaint.
He faces up to 14 years in prison after pleading guilty in August to mail fraud, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies involving a nationwide "porn trolling" practice based in Minneapolis that seeded adult videos on the internet and then sued individuals who download the materials for alleged copyright violations.
Hansmeier misled the courts about the practice and submitted a bogus financial statement to the court. As a result, the Minnesota Supreme Court suspended his law license indefinitely in 2016.
The latest complaint, filed by the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility, pertains to Hansmeier's bankruptcy petition, which he filed in 2015 after several judges imposed financial sanctions against him for his behavior in the porn trolling cases.
The bankruptcy court found that Hansmeier "continued his pattern and practice of misleading the courts" by hiding assets and misrepresenting his finances. The court ordered the liquidation of his estate. Hansmeier lost his appeal of that decision.
The lawyers board wants the Minnesota Supreme Court to impose additional discipline, up to disbarment.
Hansmeier's sentencing in the porn trolling case has not yet been scheduled, but appears to be getting close, based on recent court filings pertaining to his presentencing investigation. Judges use the investigation, along with other materials provided by prosecutors and the defense, in determining a sentence.
Hansmeier could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Dan Browning • 612-673-4493
