Los Angeles Lawyer Faces 8 Years for Embezzling $4.8 Million in Client Trust Funds

According to a statement of prosecutors on 19 September, a divorce attorney from Los Angeles accused of embezzling a vast amount of $4.8 million in client funds could face imprisonment of up to eight years.

Evie Jeang Charged with Embezzlement

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office claims that “Evie Jeang” is charged with grand theft of millions of dollars from funds from her client’s trust account.

At the same time, she is aware that the amount was supposed to be split between her client and his ex-wife.

However, she is suspected of stealing the money between September 2015 and May 2017 and submitting a “fake bank statement” to hide her illicit activity.

Felony and White-Collar Crime Charges

Jeang (47 years old) has been accused of four major financial crimes known as felony counts, including “grand theft, grand theft by embezzlement, preparing false documentary evidence, and perjury by declaration.”

In addition, she has been facing a harsher penalty for another charge, “white collar crime,” which involves serious financial wrongdoing.

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Prosecutors stated Jeang dealt with a divorce case of her client in Los Angeles County Superior Court between the duration of  2015 and 2021, and she was suspected of stealing the money between 25 Sep 2015 and 8 May 2017.

Jeang Held on $150,000 Bail Awaiting Trial

The prosecutor claimed that after the past four years, she had generated “fake bank statements” on 2 Nov 2021 or around it.

They further said that she is in jail and will need to pay $150,000 for her bail, and the date of her appearance in court will be decided later.

If Jeang is found guilty of all the charges, she will face up to eight years in jail as a penalty, as the prosecutors state.

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Jeang Suspended After No Contest Plea to Charges

The District Attorney’s office has chosen to stay silent on further explanation about the case. Jeang had not admitted the charges, but she had not defended herself. She submitted “a plea no contest to disciplinary charges” in the case.

As a result, the State Bar of California suspended her from practicing law and put her on “inactive status.” The bar treated this as if she accepted the charge, following an agreement approved in 2022 by the court.

Jeang Admits Fraud Faces Permanent Disbarment

She accepted her wrongdoings, including “creating the fake bank statements and falsifying the bank records,” to conceal her involvement in illicit activities, which were confirmed by authorities.

Jeang is now suspended from practicing law in the country, as per her California Bar profile. However, the California Supreme Court is in the middle of the decision to permanently ban her from practicing law, based on a press release from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.