The California lawyer who swindled nearly $9 million from clients to fuel her gambling addiction in Las Vegas and support her lavish lifestyle will spend less than two years behind bars.
Sara Jacqueline King was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison on Monday after she pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering charges in 2023.
King was also ordered to pay $8,785,045 in restitution. She had faced a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
King’s defense argued for a six-month sentence but was denied by US District Court Judge David Carter.
“This is a lot of money,” Carter said. “There has always been a tremendous sense of betrayal,” Carter said during the May 5 hearing, according to the Orange County Register.
