Mission Viejo Attorney Charged with Bribery

A defense attorney from Mission Viejo was arrested Monday morning by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The FBI alleges Lawrence Anthony Witsoe, 67, offered a Drug Enforcement Administration task force officer $2,500 to lie to the Orange County District Attorney's Office about one of Witsoe's clients. DEA officer Aaron Scott Vigil, 41, of Highland, was also charged.

The FBI says Witsoe bribed Vigil to get the DEA officer to claim one of Witsoe's clients was cooperating with the DEA. Witsoe's client was facing assault charges in Orange County Superior Court, according to an FBI statement.

Both men are charged with conspiracy and soliciting and accepting a bribe by a public official. Vigil faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in federal prison, and Witsoe faces a maximum sentence of 35 years in prison.

According to the grand jury indictment that was unsealed Monday, the bribery scheme started in fall 2009.

At that time Witsoe allegedly told his client he could have the assault charges dropped for a sum of money--initially $1,000, but that amount was later raised to $2,500.

The FBI claims Vigil then called the OCDA's Office, falsely claiming tips from Witsoe's client led to the DEA seizing $110,000 in drug money.

The indictment further claims Witsoe instructed the client to wire him $2,500, then Witsoe wrote a $2,500 check to an acquaintance of Vigil.

Witsoe lives in Mission Viejo and practices law in Corona.