Court: Attorney shoplifted Kroger wine, lied

A Cincinnati attorney has been suspended for two years after lying to investigators about seven previous shoplifting offenses at Kroger stores.

Rodger Moore, of Fort Mitchell, was found guilty of shoplifting in 2001 and 2012, and was disciplined, but he later lied to investigators and friends about the incidents, leading to a Ohio Supreme Court sanction.

The Supreme Court ruled unanimously in favor of the Cincinnati Bar Association against Moore on Thursday morning and Moore will be suspended for two years with the second year stayed on conditions.

The first dates to 2001, when Moore was arrested in Atlanta after attempting to leave a Kroger with 12 bottles of wine worth $152, according to court documents.

Moore was required to complete 65 hours of community service after the conviction.

In 2012, Moore was charged with shoplifting again after he scanned UPC codes he brought into the store in lieu of three bottles of expensive wine at a self-scan checkout, documents state. The label switch reduced the price of the items by $359.10.

Moore plead guilty to the same offense on five other occasions at the store, investigators said. Moore was admitted to a diversion program afterwards.

Investigators later discovered that Moore made false statements about the incidents when he wrote to a court official in 2012. Investigators said Moore attempted to mislead the official under oath by leaving out relevant information about the offenses.

When the the Cincinnati Bar Association reviewed the case at a disciplinary hearing, they found that Moore was not truthful to characters witnesses called to testify at the review.

The board determined that Moore had "no reason to conceal that information from close friends except to avoid shame," records state.

The disciplinary board concluded that Moore acted with a selfish or dishonest motive, engaged in a pattern of misconduct, failed to cooperate with discipline, made false statements and took part in other deceptive practices throughout his disciplinary process.

Moore is also required to visit regular counseling and his psychologist during his suspension, according to Ohio Supreme Court documents.