Former Tulsa Attorney Pleads Guilty To Embezzling Almost $600K

A disbarred Tulsa County probate attorney pleaded guilty Tuesday to embezzling almost $600,000 from clients' accounts.

Christopher Ivor Mansfield, 38, pleaded guilty to bank fraud and money laundering charges. Mansfield embezzled $587,000 from probate estate accounts according to federal prosecutors.

Mansfield admitted he embezzled money entrusted to the Bank of Oklahoma from August 2012 to October 2015. Prosecutors said he illegally used checks made payable to himself, transferred funds from the probate estates and deposited checks into his business and personal accounts.

Mansfield admitted he used the stolen money on personal expenses, mainly American Express credit card purchases and to support his drug habit, prosecutors said.

Mansfield was a court-appointed attorney in probate cases at the time. He served as a personal representative in probate cases and was responsible for overseeing the financial affairs of multiple probate estates.

Mansfield will face a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine for the bank fraud charges and a maximum penalty for 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the unlawful monetary transaction charge.  

The judge could also order him to make restitution.