Former Lawyer Sentenced to Prison for Stealing From Clients

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Photo: 560 WGAN Newsradio

BRUNSWICK, Maine (AP) A judge has sentenced a disbarred attorney in Maine to 2½ years in prison and ordered him to repay more than $260,000 that he stole from clients.

The Portland Press Herald reports 69-year-old James Whittemore was sentenced Monday after he pleaded guilty to theft by misapplication of property and theft by unauthorized taking.

Prosecutors say Whittemore held money for his clients in a trust account in three separate instances and took the money for his personal use.

In one case, the former attorney never turned over $100,000 that an insurance company awarded to a woman and her children after her husband died in a motorcycle accident.

A judge ordered disbarment for Whittemore in November, and he apologized in court Monday. He will begin serving his sentence in April.

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