Former Attorney Pleads Not Guilty to Client Thefts

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – A former Oregon attorney has pleaded not guilty to defrauding her clients for eight years.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reported Monday that 53-year-old Lori E. Deveny entered the not guilty plea following a 24-count federal indictment.

Authorities say she used clients’ insurance proceeds to pay credit card debt and loans and for expenses including big game hunting trips in Africa, taxidermy costs, home remodeling, and her husband’s photography business.

A judge has released her with several conditions prior to trial scheduled for July.

The indictment unsealed in a Portland court Monday says Deveny defrauded clients from April 2011 to May 2019 through mail, wire and bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, money laundering, and false tax returns.

Deveny’s defense attorney says she is cataloging firearms for sale to pay off debt.
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Information from: The Oregonian/OregonLive, http://www.oregonlive.com