THOUSAND OAKS : Attorney Arraigned on Theft Charges

A former Thousand Oaks attorney has pleaded not guilty to charges that he stole money from his clients by cashing their checks, forging their signatures and misusing funds entrusted to him.

An Oct. 23 trial date is set for Hoyle H. Kiger, who remains in county jail in lieu of $250,000 bail, Ventura County Deputy Dist. Atty. Rebecca Riley said.

The district attorney alleges that between December, 1993, and September, 1994, Kiger misused money and lied to his clients. In that period, prosecutors say he wrote more than 30 checks on attorney-client trust accounts that were returned for insufficient funds.

Kiger is accused in two cases of forging signatures and cashing insurance settlement checks intended for his clients, prosecutors said. In two other instances, he is suspected of cashing checks from the state Victims of Crime Restitution Fund, money that should have gone to health care providers helping his clients.

He is also accused of embezzling funds held in trust and lying to his clients so that they would pay him fees. He also showed them forged court documents, prosecutors say.

Indicted by the grand jury Sept. 1 and arraigned on Wednesday, Kiger faces charges of writing checks with insufficient funds, grand theft, forgery and unlawful practice of law.