GRAFT ALERT: A Vale, South Dakota, attorney is facing serious federal charges after allegedly transferring over $1 million from client trust accounts for her own gain. Rena M. Hymans, 48, was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 20, 2020, and charged with thirty counts of Wire Fraud, ten counts of Money Laundering, and one count of Bank Fraud.
Hymans appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on August 24, 2020, where she pleaded not guilty to the charges. If convicted, the maximum penalty for each wire fraud charge is 20 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, while money laundering could land her another 20 years behind bars and up to $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved. Bank fraud carries a sentence of up to 30 years.
The indictment claims that Hymans, while licensed as an attorney in South Dakota, devised a scheme between June 2017 and January 2020 to siphon funds from client trust accounts into her personal business and personal accounts. The Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson is handling the prosecution. Hymans was released pending trial, and no trial date has been set as of press time.
This case serves as a stark reminder of the trust violations that can occur within legal professions. It underscores the critical role of law enforcement in ferreting out financial corruption.
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Key Facts
- State: South Dakota
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Public Corruption|White Collar Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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