A San Francisco attorney who lived a lavish lifestyle that included a yacht and a fleet of fancy cars was sentenced to 14 years in prison Tuesday for stealing millions from clients, who included struggling immigrants and children born with disabilities.
The lawyer for Nikolai Tehin pleaded for leniency before U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker, who ruled that he would have given the maximum 15 1/2-year term but settled on 14 years at the government’s urging.
Walker said Tehin “took gross advantage” of his clients and that corrupt lawyers are “a shame for the system.”
Prosecutors said Tehin financed an extravagant lifestyle by ripping off more than $2 million from his clients. In October, he was found guilty on all 15 counts of mail fraud, money laundering and related felonies in connection with accusations that he spent his clients’ settlement money on himself and to pay off other clients in a Ponzi-type fraud scheme.
Details here from the AP via the San Francisco Chronicle.
Update: A separate report just published in The Recorder via Law.com.
A San Francisco attorney who lived a lavish lifestyle that included a yacht and a fleet of fancy cars was sentenced to 14 years in prison Tuesday for stealing millions from clients, who included struggling immigrants and children born with disabilities.
The lawyer for Nikolai Tehin pleaded for leniency before U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker, who ruled that he would have given the maximum 15 1/2-year term but settled on 14 years at the government’s urging.
Walker said Tehin “took gross advantage” of his clients and that corrupt lawyers are “a shame for the system.”
Prosecutors said Tehin financed an extravagant lifestyle by ripping off more than $2 million from his clients. In October, he was found guilty on all 15 counts of mail fraud, money laundering and related felonies in connection with accusations that he spent his clients’ settlement money on himself and to pay off other clients in a Ponzi-type fraud scheme.
Details here from the AP via the San Francisco Chronicle.
Update: A separate report just published in The Recorder via Law.com.
A San Francisco attorney who lived a lavish lifestyle that included a yacht and a fleet of fancy cars was sentenced to 14 years in prison Tuesday for stealing millions from clients, who included struggling immigrants and children born with disabilities.
The lawyer for Nikolai Tehin pleaded for leniency before U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker, who ruled that he would have given the maximum 15 1/2-year term but settled on 14 years at the government’s urging.
Walker said Tehin “took gross advantage” of his clients and that corrupt lawyers are “a shame for the system.”
Prosecutors said Tehin financed an extravagant lifestyle by ripping off more than $2 million from his clients. In October, he was found guilty on all 15 counts of mail fraud, money laundering and related felonies in connection with accusations that he spent his clients’ settlement money on himself and to pay off other clients in a Ponzi-type fraud scheme.
Details here from the AP via the San Francisco Chronicle.
Update: A separate report just published in The Recorder via Law.com.
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