Former Memphis attorney George E. Skouteris, Jr., 59, is headed to federal prison for 30 months after being convicted in a years-long scheme to defraud his own clients. The sentence, handed down by U.S. District Judge John T. Fowlkes, Jr., marks the end of a criminal case rooted in betrayal, forgery, and cold cash theft from those who trusted him most.
Skouteris was found guilty by a jury in April of this year on seven counts of bank fraud following a rapid four-day trial. The verdict exposed a pattern of deception stretching from 2007 to March 2013, during which Skouteris settled client cases without their knowledge, then forged their endorsements on settlement checks issued jointly to him and his victims. Those checks were deposited directly into accounts he controlled at TrustOne Bank.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., announced the sentencing today, emphasizing the breach of trust at the heart of the crime. ‘Lawyers are bound by oath and ethics to protect their clients,’ Murphy said. ‘Skouteris did the opposite—he exploited them for personal gain.’
Judge Fowlkes also imposed three years of supervised release following the 30-month prison term. With no parole in the federal system, Skouteris will serve nearly every day of his sentence. The court scheduled a follow-up hearing for November 30, 2021, to determine the final restitution amount owed to the victims—figures still under review but expected to reflect substantial financial harm.
The investigation was a joint effort between the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, agencies that peeled back layers of financial deception to expose Skouteris’s criminal conduct. Bank records, forged signatures, and testimony from former clients painted a damning picture of a legal professional turned predator.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carroll L. André III and David N. Pritchard handled the prosecution, securing a conviction that underscores federal zero tolerance for white-collar abuse of power. For the victims, many of whom were already vulnerable at the time of their legal cases, justice has been slow—but it has finally arrived.
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Key Facts
- State: Tennessee
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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