NORRISTOWN, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — A lawyer from Collegeville
who pleaded guilty to stealing from trust funds set up for people with
special needs has been sentenced.
The 17- to 34-year prison
sentence for Patrick Bradley represents one year for each of his 17
victims, according to prosecutor Kelli McGinnis.
"Victims who are
wheelchair-bound or have mental and physical disabilities, they were all
victimized by the defendant without a second thought," she said. "They
were like an ATM for him to use."
He pleaded guilty to 80 counts,
ranging from theft to unauthorized practice of law, as he continued to
act as a lawyer after his law license was suspended.
"He also took
money from several of the victims' special needs trusts, and he, in
most cases, all but drained them," McGinnis added.
In all, McGinnis said Bradley stole in excess of $167,000, which he used on movies, dinners, sporting goods and his mortgage.
McGinnis said she asked for the 17- to 34-year sentence as a reminder that similar conduct from attorneys will not be tolerated.
"It’s
completely unacceptable for an attorney to abuse the trust of their
client when you’re talking about some of the most vulnerable people in
Pennsylvania," she added.
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Lawyer gets 17 to 34 years for stealing from special-needs clients
1 comment:
Every day in jail he has an opportunity to change who he is as a person. He got what he deserved for such a despicable act.
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