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A southern California lawyer’s sick scheme to swindle clients out of $300,000 to pay for his gambling addiction while lying about having terminal cancer has learned his fate.
Manhattan Beach attorney, Sergio Valdovinos Ramirez, pleaded guilty on Monday to multiple counts, including grand theft by embezzlement, insufficient checking funds, and a “special allegation of committing a crime that resulted in $100,000 or more in losses,” per the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office.
As part of his plea agreement, Ramirez was sentenced to two years, agreed to pay $50,000 before the sentencing and another $310,000 in restitution.
Authorities said Ramirez “cheated his clients out of money they were expecting from settlements or other court matters,” then used hundreds of thousands of dollars to support his gambling habit, per the DA. This gambling scheme took place between 2019 and 2023.
The DA said Ramirez also “wrote checks to his clients that bounced because there was very little to no money in his bank account.”
“This truly was a house of cards that collapsed when law enforcement and State Bar officials learned about his duplicitous actions,” LA District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said.
“He not only lost his ability to practice law but also must pay back the stolen money and serve time in prison as well.”
In 2024, Ramirez was disbarred, with the State Bar finding him guilty of 19 ethical violations in his, per KTLA.
Authorities said Ramirez also lied about being diagnosed with a life-threatening disease, giving a fake name of the doctor that was reportedly treating him, as he tried to hide his illegal actions with client’s funds.
“Disbarment is entirely appropriate in this case,” Chief Trial Counsel George Cardona, said at the time.
“This misconduct was exacerbated by the additional dishonesty in which he engaged,” the ruling read in part.
“Valdovinos Ramirez lied to his clients to stall the discovery of his misappropriation and failure to follow through on work he had assured clients he performed.”
“A key part of this cover-up was to issue numerous checks with insufficient funds to several clients, again breaching the fundamental rule of ethics, which is honesty,” the ruling added.
Ramirez then filed an appeal about the disbarment with the California Supreme Court who has since upheld the decision that he’ll no longer be able to practice law in the state, per the DA.
He is due back in court for sentencing September 21 when he will be sent away to serve two years in state prison for his crimes.
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