A disbarred Broward attorney has entered into a plea agreement whereby he will serve eight years in Florida prison for the offense of organized scheme to defraud.
Prosecutors allege that the disbarred attorney, who practiced civil litigation in his former career, stole over $1 million in settlement funds from his clients.
This type of theft crime is a first-degree felony because the amount in question was so high.
Reports indicate that the accused attorney would take funds intended to be disbursed to clients. These funds were the results of lawsuit settlements. An attorney is only entitled to a percentage of a settlement, pursuant to an agreement with the client. An attorney taking funds they are not entitled to is not only unethical, it is criminal.
In addition to prison time, it is expected that the accused will be ordered to pay restitution to those he is accused of defrauding. Restitution may be ordered by the court to compensate alleged victims for monetary loss.
Eric Matheny is a criminal defense attorney serving Miami-Dade and Broward. Attorney Eric Matheny routinely represents clients charged with a variety of theft crimes, including petit theft, grand theft, and organized scheme to defraud.