Criminal Justice
Disbarred lawyer who disappeared is sentenced for stealing client money, including funds for woman’s care
A disbarred South Florida lawyer has been sentenced to 33 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $760,000 in restitution for stealing money from clients, including estate funds intended to pay for the care of a woman who is now 89 years old. (Image from Shutterstock)
A disbarred South Florida lawyer has been sentenced to 33 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $760,000 in restitution for stealing money from clients, including estate funds intended to pay for the care of a woman who is now 89 years old.
U.S. District Judge David S. Leibowitz of the Southern District of Florida sentenced 55-year-old Florida lawyer John Spencer Jenkins on June 26, according to a June 26 press release and stories by the Miami Herald and Law.com. Jenkins had pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering.
Jenkins was arrested in Philadelphia in September 2024 after disappearing with client funds. He had been disbarred in July 2024 and ordered to pay more than $612,000 to the estate of William L. Walters, who is referred to as “W.W.” in a factual proffer filed by Jenkins’ lawyer March 20.
The factual proffer said Jenkins told the executor of Walters’ estate that the money should be deposited into his law firm trust account, so that he could manage the distribution. That representation was “materially false and fraudulent,” the proffer said.
The money was intended for distribution to a nephew, two nieces and the care of a younger sister who is now 89 years old, according to the Miami Herald.
In the proffer, Jenkins acknowledged making three transfers for his personal use: one transfer of $543,832 from the estate (supporting a wire fraud count in the indictment), another $70,000 transfer (supporting the money laundering count), and a transfer of $88,000 owed to another client in connection with the sale of his company’s assets.
Jenkins entered a 90-day residential substance abuse program after his arrest and release, according to a June 13 motion for a downward departure from advisory sentencing guidelines. He was currently receiving outpatient treatment.
He suffers from anxiety and depression, compounded by long-standing addiction to drugs and alcohol, the motion said. He suffered a major relapse after his fiancee died from an overdose in 2021.
Jenkins is “homeless, has no assets, is on food stamps, and carries over $480,000 in debt,” the motion said.
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