Lawyer Sentenced for Thefts from Clients

June 30, 2020 – A Memphis attorney who pled guilty to two felony counts of stealing client funds has been sentenced to 15 years on Community Corrections and was ordered to make restitution of nearly a half million dollars, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

Michael Skouteris, a former partner in the firm of Skouteris Walk, PLLC, earlier this year pled guilty to theft of property over $250,000 and theft of property over $10,000 counts of theft of property.

His sentence this week in Criminal Court includes restitution totaling $467,462.25.

Investigators said Skouteris, 50, admitted that on numerous occasions he settled cases for clients, but kept the settlement funds for himself without ever notifying the clients. In the second felony count, when his law partner discovered the misappropriation of client funds, Skouteris withdraw funds from the firm’s trust account after the Tennessee Supreme Court prohibited him from accessing the account.

He has been disbarred by the Tennessee Supreme Court.

Skouteris pled guilty earlier this month in federal court on bank fraud charges in connection with the scheme. He is scheduled to be sentenced there on Sept. 24.

The state case was handled by Asst. Dist. Attys. Byron Winsett and Forrest Edwards.