Birmingham law firm employee bilked elderly clients out of $295,000 to fund lavish lifestyle, authorities say

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama - A Jefferson County woman employed by a Birmingham law firm stole nearly $300,000 from clients deemed unable to oversee their own finances and used the money to fund a lavish lifestyle, authorities said today.

Janice Davis

A grand jury this month indicted 36-year-old Janice Davis, of Minor, on 35 criminal charges. The U.S. Marshal's Fugitive Task Force arrested Davis at her home Oct. 16. She was released the following day after posting $250,000 bond.

Jefferson County sheriff's Chief Deputy Randy Christian said the law firm of Hand Arendall LLC in July contacted the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office after noticing a discrepancy in the firm's Guardianship Department. The inquiry was handed over to the sheriff's office, which launched an investigation.

Davis, authorities said, was responsible for the disbursement of payments for the firm's attorney who had been appointed fiduciary by the Jefferson County Probate Court or the Veteran's Administration to assist clients who had been deemed unable to oversee their personal financial affairs.

Once the discrepancy was noticed, Christian said, Davis was fired from Hand Arendall. The investigation found almost $295,000 was misappropriated from 34 accounts the firm managed through manipulation of the payment system they had in place.

The theft took place over nearly three years. Authorities said Davis used the money to pay personal bills including a $66,000 credit card balance and she bought two Mercedes.

The case was presented to a Jefferson County grand jury this month. Davis was indicted on the following charges: 10 counts of elderly abuse/neglect, 12 counts of first-degree financial exploitation of an elderly person, eight counts of second-degree financial exploitation of an elderly person, four counts of third-degree of financial exploitation an elderly person, and one count of firs-degree theft of property.

Roger Bates, a managing partner at Hand Arendall, said none of the victims will suffer any financial loss, nor did they suffer any loss of services, medical treatment, care or housing. The firm also had launched additional layers of security to its Guardianship accounts.

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Birmingham law firm employee bilked elderly clients out of $295,000 to fund lavish lifestyle, authorities say