Ex-lawyer admits theft of $167,000 from clients
NORRISTOWN >> A disbarred Lower Providence lawyer showed no emotion as he faced some of his former clients in a courtroom and admitted to stealing more than $167,800 from 17 clients who once trusted him, some of whom had special needs.
Patrick Joseph Bradley, 47, whose law office, Bradley Law LLC, was located in the 3800 block of Germantown Pike, pleaded guilty in Montgomery County Court on Tuesday to multiple charges including, theft by unlawful taking, theft by deception, receiving stolen property, theft by failure to make required disposition of funds received, dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities, deceptive business practices, misapplication of entrusted property, securing execution of documents by deception and unauthorized practice of law in connection with incidents that occurred between 2013 and 2016.
“Guilty,” Bradley said 80 times as defense law-
yer George Griffith Jr. asked him about each charge.
Specifically, Bradley admitted to stealing $126,939 from six clients whose trusts he had administered and $40,932 from 11 other clients who paid Bradley for legal work that was never completed.
Bradley’s admission came suddenly, before testimony was to resume on Tuesday at a non-jury trial that began the day before.
Judge Wendy G. Rothstein allowed Bradley to remain free on bail pending an April 18 sentencing hearing. However, the judge amended Bradley’s bail conditions to include house arrest and GPS monitoring. Bradley also is prohibited from traveling outside Pennsylvania and must surrender his passport to court officials.
“The defendant is prohibited from performing any legal work,” Rothstein warned Bradley, who testimony revealed was suspended in 2015 but continued to practice law without a license.
Bradley, formerly of the 1100 block of Cornwallis
“It was a long, long deception to so many people, people who should have never had to deal with any of this.” — Montgomery County Assistant District Attorney Kelli McGinnis
Way, Perkiomen Township, faces more than 100 years in prison on the charges. However, state sentencing guidelines could allow for less jail time.
Assistant District Attorney Kelli McGinnis vowed to seek a lengthy state prison term against Bradley. McGinnis argued Bradley, who now resides along Shiffer Road in Stroudsburg, Monroe County, treated clients “like a personal ATM.”
“It was a long, long deception to so many people, people who should have never had to deal with any of this,” McGinnis said. “His deception was so keen and he hid behind the mask of being a lawyer or a lawyer in good standing and developed the trust from all of the victims. I am seeking a lengthy state prison term.
The conduct certainly warrants it.”
Because five of the victims are over the age of 60, Bradley, under state law, potentially faces one-year mandatory prison terms for offenses committed against those clients. McGinnis said she will argue for the mandatory terms, the imposition of which ultimately will be at the discretion of the judge.
McGinnis, who was assisted at trial by co-prosecutor Lindsey Mills, alleged Bradley stole monies from special needs clients and their families and used it to pay for his personal bills, such as his home mortgage, restaurant meals and movie tickets.
Prosecutors alleged Bradley, through his law firm, established and managed special needs trust agreements for clients, established himself as the sole trustee and then used assets in the accounts for his own benefit. Additionally, Bradley was paid by other clients to provide legal services in obtaining orders and guardianships for their special needs relatives and failed to perform the necessary legal work, instead using funds for his own personal use.
McGinnis said Bradley was put in a position of trust, or worked himself into a position of trust, and he took advantage of some good people who were trying to take care of loved ones by establishing trusts for their ongoing care.
Additional victims claimed they suffered losses after paying for legal work that was not performed or not fully performed.
The clients who were victimized by Bradley resided in Montgomery, Berks and Chester counties, according to investigators.
Rothstein said the clients will be permitted to provide victim impact testimony at Bradley’s sentencing hearing.
“Hopefully today is a first step in bringing closure to you,” Rothstein addressed the half dozen clients who were in the courtroom to witness Bradley’s admission.
McGinnis praised county Detective Jean Morrison for her investigation that included poring over mountains of legal and financial documents and bank records to uncover the thefts.
“Detective Morrison left no stone unturned,” said McGinnis, adding the Pennsylvania Office of Disciplinary Counsel also provided important information during the investigation.
The investigation of Bradley began when the Office of Disciplinary Counsel, an arm of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, which protects the public by investigating complaints against lawyers, investigated a complaint from a client of Bradley’s who allegedly paid him for legal work in 2013 that was never completed
Bradley’s decision to plead guilty on Tuesday came after he listened to the testimony from officials of the disciplinary board. One state official testified the office investigated complaints against Bradley in 2015 and that Bradley did not respond to requests or subpoenas for complete records and dispositions of the clients’ funds. As a result, the Supreme Court temporarily suspended Bradley’s law license effective Aug. 9, 2015, according to testimony.
Officials testified that after Bradley was suspended the disciplinary board received complaints Bradley was still engaging in the practice of law and holding himself out as an attorney in good standing.
State officials filed a contempt petition against Bradley and on Sept. 15, 2016, Bradley was “disbarred on consent” after he agreed to resign from the bar, testimony revealed.
McGinnis said she will ask the judge to order Bradley to pay full restitution to the victims.
Some of the victims previously sought assistance from the Pennsylvania Lawyers Fund for Client Security, which was established in 1982 to reimburse clients who have suffered losses as a result of the misappropriation of funds by their lawyers. The fund does not receive tax dollars and its sole source of revenue is an annual fee that every lawyer pays to be licensed to practice in Pennsylvania.
“His deception was so keen and he hid behind the mask of being a lawyer or a lawyer in good standing and developed the trust from all of the victims.” — Montgomery County Assistant District Attorney Kelli McGinnis