Bermuda lawyer sentenced to 15 years of prison for embezzling over 50M US dollars

Bermuda: A 37-year-old lawyer named Tyrone Quinn has been sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment after he was found guilty of embezzlement of around half a million US dollars from his clients. The sentence was given to the victim earlier this week by High Court Judge Justice Juan Wolffe. The sentencing of Quinn follows a unanimous verdict by a jury in November 2023 which convicted him on three counts of theft which amounted to US$483,000 from compensation payments which was actually intended for his clients. The actions of the suspect were denounced by the Justice, who said that he took the wrong advantage of his client’s circumstances and used it for personal benefit.

Justice Wolffe noted that the wrongdoer did so at a time when the victims were going through excruciating physical pain and mental trauma. He also expressed his deep concern over the exploitation of Quinn of a close relationship with one victim and his failure to fulfil his duties to another.

Meanwhile, Wolffe also ordered a confiscation inquiry, which comes under the Proceeds of Crime Act against the wrongdoer, in order to identify the assets which could be seized to compensate the victims. Also, the judge called the case and actions of the suspect as ‘sad’ and ‘unconscionable’.

In addition to this, the court saw the evidence against Quinn and noted that he got compensation awards on behalf of three clients between May 2020 and February 2021. During the trial, the suspect admitted diverting the money for personal use and claimed that he intended to repay his clients.

Meanwhile, Prosecutor Alan Richards called Quinn’s actions as condemnable stating that the individual who was meant to help others frauded them of such a huge amount. Justice Wolffe also assured everyone that written reasons for the sentence will be provided during the next week.