A man claims two attorneys in a law firm embezzled more than $1 million that he says he gave them for a real estate deal.
Edwin Bonds is suing Ryan Hatley and George Sperry, Jr.
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He says he wanted to buy property near the beach, and the lawyers were in charge of handling the money for closing.
Bonds says he gave them $1,047,000. R. Lee Robertson, who represents bonds, says they don’t know where any of the money went. They allege the lawyers used the funds for “vacations, vehicles, meals, and entertainment.”
“Traumatized,” said Robertson about his client. “Devastated. It’s his life savings. And that money was intended for the purchase of a house that he can’t buy.”
He says he has another client in a similar case against the same lawyers.
Meanwhile, the state bar recently took legal action against Hatley.
He signed a consent order, admitting he “mishandled entrusted funds … to which neither he nor the firm were entitled.”
It’s not clear if that’s related to either of these cases.
Action 9 reached out to Sperry and Hatley by calling, emailing four addresses, and messaging on social media. No one responded in time for this report.