The Region - News from Oct. 6, 1985

A minister of the House of David Community Church in Southwest Los Angeles was sentenced to two years in County Jail for masquerading as an attorney. The Rev. Ronald E. May, who operated the now-defunct Community Legal Assistance Center at 3654 W. Slauson Ave., had pleaded guilty in Los Angeles Municipal Court to two counts of practicing law without a license, one count of grand theft and one count of using false statements to induce clients to purchase services. Deputy City Atty. Paula A. Stringer said May accepted money for advising clients on bankruptcy proceedings, foreclosures, landlord-tenant problems and other matters even though he was not a lawyer. May charged one victim $675 to file a bankruptcy action to prevent foreclosure on his home, Stringer said. The foreclosure took place anyway, she said, because the bankruptcy papers were not properly drawn.