Former Memphis attorney Charged in Scheme to Defraud Clients

Memphis, TN – A federal grand jury returned an indictment against former Memphis attorney George E. Skouteris, Jr. 56. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee announced the indictment today.

The seven-count indictment alleges that between 2007 and March 2013, Skouteris engaged in a scheme to defraud his clients by settling cases without notifying his clients and forging their endorsements on the settlement checks made jointly payable to him and the client. The indictment alleges that Skouteris then deposited the checks to bank accounts he maintained at TrustOne Bank. According to the indictment, Skouteris fraudulently obtained in excess of $250,000 during the course of the scheme.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Licensed attorneys who steal from their clients betray the trust of that fiduciary relationship, and are a threat to the public. This indictment exposes that breach of trust, and will hopefully achieve justice by recovering restitution for the victims and reminding the legal community of the high standards of their profession."

Skouteris faces a mandatory maximum penalty of 30 years imprisonment, a fine of $1,000,000 and five years supervised release as to each count.

This case was investigated by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Carroll L. André III is prosecuting this case on the government’s behalf.