Lawyer's crimes pose dilemma for victims

NEW PORT RICHEY -- David Olson, a former lawyer accused of stealing almost $200,000 from clients, faced a difficult choice today: defend himself at trial or plead no contest and leave his fate to a judge.

He chose not to contest the charges.

Now his victims face a choice: demand prison for their former lawyer or probation so he can pay them back.

"That’s why most of the victims are in favor of probation,'' said his defense attorney Daniel Rock.

The state isn't.

Olson, 59, faces 17 charges of grand theft. The most serious carries 15 years in prison. The total adds up to 105 years in prison, though such a sentence is highly unlikely.

"We expect he’ll be treated like anyone else who steals money,'' said Assistant State Attorney James Goodnow.

The money Olson stole came from such things as funds he was supposed to be holding for property and estate sales, and retainers for his services.

His law license was suspended in 2005. He was disbarred in 2006. He was arrested in January 2007.
Where did the money go? His lawyer said he gambled it away.

Olson has already paid about $70,000 to former clients. But he still owes up to $130,000 to his victims and to the Florida Bar Clients’ Security Fund, which reimburses people ripped off by their lawyers. Olson would reimburse the fund for what it has paid out to his victims.

Rock said Olson and his wife, Carolyn, would have to mortgage their $266,917 New Port Richey home to pay the money back. That won't happen if Olson goes to prison, Rock said.

Sentencing is set for March 6. Rock said he’ll ask for 10 to 15 years' probation. "He’ll have the chance to pay them,'' Rock said, "and they will be paid within 30 days of sentencing.''

- Jamal Thalji, Times staff writer

Comments

...and now they want to expand the casino gambling operations in Florida...

...and you somehow think that casinos are at fault, not the weak person who can't control himself...

Well then, let's also ban shopping, alcohol, prescription drugs (even valid prescriptions), sex, cigarettes, caffeine....

It will be interesting to see if they listen to the victims as much in this case as they did in the LaFave case.