Paralegal Charged With Clipping Clients Of $460K In Real Estate Deals

In Hamilton, Ontario, The Toronto Star reports:

• A Hamilton paralegal is accused of stealing nearly half a million dollars from at least five clients who entrusted her with their power of attorney or with mortgage funds to close real estate deals. Shellee Spinks, 45, who ran a paralegal service out of a Hunter Street legal office, was arrested this week and charged with one count of theft by power of attorney and four counts of theft by conversion.

• Hamilton police Detective Craig Parmenter said not all the complainants are from Hamilton and other jurisdictions in Ontario are also investigating complaints. He said the charges before the court involve $462,000 allegedly defrauded between September 2006 and Feb. 27. Some of the missing money was being held in trust in order to discharge a mortgage. "Quite frankly, I expect once the newspaper article goes out, I'm going to get more people, especially on the power of attorney side... Once they start looking at their records, they may find something amiss."

For more, see Hamilton paralegal accused of theft (Woman allegedly stole nearly $500,000 from at least five clients).

See Theft Of Escrow Funds I and Theft Of Escrow Funds II for other stories of trust account / escrow account theft of funds. sneaky slick escrow agents beta