Ex-chief authorized officer of legislation agency LeClairRyan will get 44 months in jail

(Reuters) – Bruce Matson, the previous chief authorized officer at now-defunct legislation agency LeClairRyan, has been sentenced to 44 months in jail after pleading responsible in July to obstructing a federal probe, the Justice Division mentioned Monday.

U.S. District Choose John Gibney of the Japanese District of Virginia in Richmond additionally ordered Matson, 64, to pay a $10,000 nice, in line with the DOJ.

Matson was accused of mendacity to a DOJ watchdog that was probing his alleged misappropriation of funds from title insurer LandAmerica Monetary Group’s chapter.

Prosecutors had requested 46 months in jail and a $250,000 nice, whereas Matson’s attorneys requested a 37-month sentence.

Richard Cullen and Brandon Santos, McGuireWoods attorneys representing Matson, didn’t instantly return requests for remark. The Justice Division declined to remark.

LandAmerica, one of many largest title insurance coverage teams within the U.S., filed for chapter within the Japanese District of Virginia in 2008.

Matson, was assigned the function of liquidation trustee for the corporate’s remaining property whereas at LeClairRyan. He was discovered to have embezzled roughly $800,000 from the belief between 2015 and 2018, and misappropriated a complete of $4 million, in line with courtroom papers.

Based on prosecutors, in 2019 Matson lied to the U.S. Trustee probing the depleted belief funds, telling them he moved the funds due to excessive financial institution charges and tax identification points. Matson agreed to disbarment in November 2020.

On Friday, Matson submitted 51 letters of assist from household, buddies and colleagues to Gibney. His attorneys of their argument for a shorter sentence mentioned Matson skilled a “large fall from grace,” and had been a revered chapter legal professional for greater than three a long time.

Matson’s former agency, Richmond-headquartered LeClairRyan filed for Chapter 11 safety in September 2019, after reducing revenues and a spate of accomplice departures.

The case is United States v. Matson, U.S. District Court docket for the Japanese District of Virginia, No. 21-cr-00079.

For the US: Assistant U.S. Lawyer Thomas Garnett and former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Martin and Kevin Elliker

For Matson: Brandon Santos and Richard Cullen of McGuireWoods; and Danny Onorato of Schertler Onorato Mead & Sears

Learn Extra:

Ex-LeClairRyan CLO seeks shorter sentence in obstruction case

Ex-LeClairRyan CLO pleads responsible to obstruction of chapter embezzlement probe

Reporting by Chinekwu Osakwe