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STARKE, Fla. (WCJB) -North Central Florida attorney Brittany Cooper faces theft charges in Bradford county.
“Why it happened? Don’t really know,” said Bradford County Sheriff Gordon Smith.
Cooper, 33, was booked Aug. 26 at the Columbia County jail on two charges of forgery but was released on $15,000 bond. She was arrested Tuesday in Bradford county after an investigation revealed she stole $9,100 from five victims in the area for failing to provide her services as an attorney. It’s a community she grew up in according to Sheriff Smith.
“It’s a sad story it really is because I’ve known Ms. Cooper most of her life, her family. Been involved in and around them most of my life. The victims? Know most of them, been in and around their lives. It’s just a tragic investigation all the way around that didn’t have to happen.”
Cooper could face more charges as more victims report their testimony to sheriff’s deputies according to the Sheriff.
“I have this big question that goes on in my head is why?,” said Sheriff Smith. “I may never get that answer knowing this entire family. My victims, they deserve justice. They paid for a service, most of them didn’t get it. There are people’s lives that are still held in limbo because of the actions that we’re finding of Ms. Cooper.”
So far, 29 more people have come forward with their case to Bradford county sheriff’s deputies. One victim, Kassie Gilliam said justice was served for her the day Cooper was behind bars.
“It’s just about getting justice for all the people that she’s wronged,” mentioned Gilliam. “I mean, I hope she remembers my face for a long time.”
It was June 2020 when Alachua resident Kassie Gilliam hired Cooper to negotiate custody of her son. Gilliam said no official receipts were filed for court documents cooper said she would file on Gilliam’s behalf for months.
33-year-old Brittany Cooper was arrested this week in Bradford County on charges of theft for failing to give legal advice after charging 5 clients according to sheriff's deputies. Although, more victims, like Kassie Gilliam shown here, are coming forward. @WCJB20 pic.twitter.com/UhrmRRCgFB
— Ruelle Fludd (@ruellefluddnews) September 3, 2021
Last December, Gilliam reported Cooper to the Florida Bar after losing $3,500. Despite all this, Florida Bar records show Cooper, under the name Brittany Loper, is a member in good standing.
“She was not equipped to take credit card payments but that she accepted cash and cash app,” said Gilliam. And so of course, I believed it. I was sitting in an office with a lawyer, you know? Lawyers are honest and me personally, not having much experience with a lawyer I put a lot of faith and trust in her as a person.”
Following Cooper’s
arrest in Columbia and Bradford counties, deputies ask anyone who has
hired her for help to check if their case exists before calling the
sheriff’s office.
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