John Spencer Jenkins, a disbarred South Florida attorney, was sentenced yesterday by a federal judge to 33 months in prison for misappropriating over $750,000 of client money.
Court documents revealed that Jenkins’ clients transferred funds into his law firm’s Interest on Trust Account (IOTA) and general business accounts for legal services. In one case, Jenkins admitted that funds meant to be managed for the distribution of an estate were instead diverted to his personal accounts.
During sentencing, U.S. District Judge David S. Leibowitz stressed the critical need to hold attorneys accountable due to the trust placed in them by the public.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Miami office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Altanese Phenelus. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne and FBI Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles.
