A disbarred Georgia lawyer accused of stealing money from his clients is pleading guilty to a federal mail fraud charge.
George William “Bill” Snipes pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court in Columbus before U.S. District Judge Clay Land.
Columbus police charged Snipes in 2018 with stealing more than $1 million from nine former clients. The prosecution was later handed over to federal authorities, with Snipes agreeing to plead to a criminal charge without being indicted.
On Wednesday, the 68-year-old Columbus resident pleaded guilty to mailing a September 2017 letter that asked an insurer to mail him $48,000 in settlement checks representing lost wages and medical expenses from a car wreck after settling a case without clients’ knowledge.
Snipes admits he took the money for himself. He agreed in his plea to pay a total of $1.64 million in restitution to nine former clients, with amounts ranging from the $48,000 mentioned in the mail fraud count up to $450,000.