A prominent British attorney has been sentenced to four years in prison for embezzling £1.85 million from his clients’ accounts in order to fund a lottery scam. Hugh Lansdell, a senior partner in a law firm, pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position after confessing to stealing the money between 2015 and 2017.
The 74-year-old lawyer, who identifies as a devout Christian, fell for a scam after receiving a letter claiming that he had won £825,000 in the Spanish Lottery. However, he was informed that he needed to pay a £41,000 tax to claim the prize. Lansdell’s belief in divine intervention led him to believe that this was an answer to his prayers, and he continued to fall for the scam as the “prize money” increased and tax demands escalated, ultimately expecting to receive £10 million.
Religious Fervor
Lansdell, a resident of Norwich, England, embezzled £1.5 million from clients of his law firm, Hansells, where he held a senior position. He also took £350,000 from two charitable organizations for which he served as a trustee.
A psychological report, presented during the court proceedings, suggested that Lansdell was suffering from a form of mental illness, stating that his overvalued belief in prayer and divine guidance influenced his interpretation of events and decision-making. The report concluded that his faith blinded him, leading to serious errors in judgment.
‘Broken Man’
Lansdell’s defense attorney, Will Carter, described his client as a “broken man” who had lost everything, including his wife. Lansdell now lives alone and has declared bankruptcy. Additionally, he was disbarred in 2019. Carter argued that Lansdell’s intentions were to use the embezzled money for church renovations and to establish a hostel in Norwich. He emphasized that Lansdell’s actions were driven by blind faith rather than greed.
However, when confronted by Hansells about the missing funds, Lansdell initially lied and made various excuses before finally admitting to the lottery scheme.
“After falling victim to a scam himself, Hugh Lansdell exploited his significant position of trust as a senior partner to steal a substantial amount of money from clients,” stated Emma Beazley, Specialist Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). She added that the CPS is dedicated to working with the police to bring fraudulent offenders to justice and will pursue confiscation proceedings in this case.
The post Brit Lawyer Jailed for Embezzling £1.85M Chasing Fake Lottery Jackpot appeared first on Casino.org.