A former lawyer who bilked clients out of $380,000 has been sentenced to 1 to 3 years in state prison.
Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore said Donna Campbell, 47, of 5777 Pattillo Way, Lithonia, GA, who formerly practiced law in Mount Vernon, was also ordered to repay the stolen money.
Campbell pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree grand larceny and one count of first-degree scheme to defraud, both felonies. The plea stemmed from an August 2009 complaint to the District Attorney’s Office about Campbell’s handling of the estate of a local woman.
DiFiore said information from one of the beneficiaries of the victim’s estate led to an investigation that uncovered several additional victims.
From July 22, 2005, to Jan. 29, 2010, Campbell deposited checks into an account established for one of the victim estates, and then withdraw funds from that account without permission of the beneficiaries, and deposited money into her firm’s operating account from which she wrote checks payable to herself. Campbell was arrested Jan. 29, 2010, by D.A.’s investigators.
Campbell is required to repay the original victim’s estate $194,000 and various amounts to the additional four victims totaling about $186,000.
