Steven P. Gartenberg, a disbarred lawyer who once had an office in Brentwood, was sentenced to two years in federal prison Friday for stealing more more than $300,000 from clients.
Gartenberg pleaded guilty in June to two counts of mail fraud. He admitted keeping more than $100,000 from a woman's estate that was supposed to go to the Kirkwood United Methodist Church, the Alzheimer's Association and three individuals and making more than $200,000 in unauthorized withdrawals from the bank account of a mentally disabled woman who was under his guardianship.
He also took money from two other clients, and later repaid them from a dead man's estate.
On Friday, Gartenberg apologized, saying, "This isn't like me. I feel much remorse for what I've done."
Under federal sentencing guidelines, Gartenberg faced 27 to 33 months in prison.
Ultimately, U.S. District Judge Rod Sippel sentenced Gartenberg to two years in prison and ordered him to repay $267,000. Most of that money will go to the Bar Plan Surety and Fidelity Company, professional liability coverage for lawyers, which paid for the guardianship victim. He also repaid a small amount himself, Margulis said.
Full Article and Source:
Disbarred Attorney Gets Two Years for Fraud
3 comments:
Why would the restitution monies go to the bar fund?
Each state has a fund - some called IOLTA (interest on lawyers' trusts accounts), against which you can make claims for $$$.
Here they said the fund paid the guardianship victim.
Don't know what they did for the others, but perhaps those others did not make claims.
Two years - and when will he be readmitted because he's so "remorseful"?
Post a Comment