Allegedly kept at least $550,000 in settlement amounts that should have gone to his clients.
PADUCAH, Ky. - A licensed Kentucky attorney was charged in a criminal Information today with various charges including devising a scheme to defraud numerous clients of insurance settlements totaling at least $550,000 announced United States Attorney John E. Kuhn, Jr.
From at least March of 2007 through May of 2017, James Grant King, 43, of McCracken County, Kentucky, allegedly committed aggravated identity theft and wire fraud.
According to the Information, King practiced as a plaintiff’s attorney for numerous clients within the Western District of Kentucky and elsewhere. These clients came to the defendant seeking his services in order to recover monetary damages and other remedies. After learning about his clients cases, King would seek to settle their cases with insurance companies. However, after reaching a settlement with the insurance companies, and unbeknownst to his clients, King would then keep most or all of the settlement amounts for himself.
King is also charged with obtaining a $97,500 personal loan from a McCracken County individual. As collateral for the loan, King transferred the title of a Phoenix Model 920 Pro XP boat. However, a few months, later, King applied for a duplicate title to the boat, and then, unbeknownst to the individual who loaned him the money, King sold the boat, without repaying the $97,500 loan.
If convicted at trial, King could face a sentence of 42 years in prison, pay a fine of $750,000 and be required to serve a three years period of supervised release.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Nute A. Bonner and is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the McCracken County Kentucky Sheriff’s Department.***
The indictment of a person by Criminal Information is an accusation only and that person is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
