Attorney embezzled clients’ money to pay for her big-game hunting trips, feds say BY VANDANA RAVIKUMAR UPDATED JUNE 28, 2022 12:29 PM The former attorney pleaded guilty and will be sentenced on Nov. 23 Getty Images A former attorney in Portland, Oregon pleaded guilty to several federal charges after being accused of defrauding her clients and using the money to pay for personal expenses, including several big game hunting trips in Africa, the Department of Justice said in a news release. According to court documents, Lori E. Deveny specialized in representing clients who had suffered injuries from car accidents “and other traumatizing events,” and represented hundreds of clients throughout her career, her indictment said. Between April 2011 and May 2019, Deveny stole funds that she held in trust for her clients, the Department of Justice said. The stolen funds came from insurance proceeds that were supposed to go to her clients, her indictment said. TOP VIDEOS Continue watching after the ad × According to the indictment, when insurance companies made payments to Deveny’s clients over claims she had filed, Deveny forged her clients’ signatures on settlement documents. She then moved the money into her business checking account, personal checking account and her husband’s business account. Meanwhile, Deveny’s clients had no idea that they had received any money in return for their claims, the indictment said. When they complained to Deveny about how long insurance companies were taking to settle, Deveny would make a variety of excuses, saying that insurance companies typically took a long time to process claims or that she would check with them again soon, documents said. Many of her clients never received the money they were owed. Deveny used the money to make personal credit card and loan payments, as well as to fund several big big-game hunting trips in Africa and the “resulting taxidermy costs,” the Department of Justice said. She also spent the money on other trips, home remodeling, expensive cigars, her husband’s photography business, and other expenses, the release said. Deveny was charged with 24 counts of mail, bank and wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, money laundering, and filing a false tax return, the release said. As part of her plea agreement, Deveny will pay restitution in full to her clients, the release said. She will be sentenced on Nov. 23. Mail and wire fraud are punishable by up to 20 years in prison, and money laundering can result in up to 10 years in prison, the release said. The offenses all carry fines of up to $250,000 or “twice the gross gains or losses resulting from the offense and three years’ supervised release,” the release said.