By Carol Anders Correspondent
PLYMOUTH — Criminal charges were filed Tuesday by the State of Indiana against Attorney Ronald Gifford of Plymouth.
Gifford was charged with two counts of forgery/counterfeiting (D felony) and two counts of deception (A misdemeanor).
According to court documents, the charges stem from actions taken in 2006 and 2007 by Gifford when he represented two Garden Court projects known as Fairfield Garden Court and Mentone Garden Court.

In late 2008, the Indiana Supreme Court ordered that the license to practice law of Gifford be suspended for a period of at least nine months starting Nov. 14 in connection with alleged professional misconduct concerning the projects.
The Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission filed a verified complaint in two counts. Each of the two alleged similar misconduct involving a corporate client. In the ruling of the commission at that time, written by Chief Justice Randall Shepard, the court found that Gifford failed to seek the proper IRS forms confirming the tax-exempt status for the two projects referred to as “Fairfield” and “Mentone.” The form is required to obtain HUD mortgage grants.
The court order states Gifford “falsely told HUD employees that he had filed” the paperwork. The parties to the Fairfield transaction postponed closing for nearly a year waiting for the form, the order states.
Additionally, the order included the following: “For each client, respondent (Gifford) forged an IRS confirmation and used it at closing. Because of respondents’ (Gifford’s) actions, each client and HUD incurred unnecessary expense.”
The initial hearing for Gifford on the criminal charges is scheduled for April 4, 2009.