Wilson R. Smith, 67, of Lyons, Ga., stole over $1 million from his own personal-injury clients through a calculated fraud scheme, settling their cases without consent and pocketing the proceeds — and now, after a years-long legal battle, his victims are finally set to receive restitution.
The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling directing $433,096 from a BlinkMind investment settlement to be seized by the United States and applied to the $1.285 million restitution Smith owes. The funds were originally awarded to him during his marriage to Frances Smith, who attempted to claim them as part of their divorce settlement.
Frances Smith challenged the government’s claim, arguing ownership of the BlinkMind payout. But both the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia and the 11th Circuit ruled the money must go to victims — not to her or her ex-husband. At the time he sought to redirect the funds, Smith had paid only $51,370 toward his court-ordered restitution.
Smith, once a trusted attorney, admitted to lying to clients about the status of their cases while secretly collecting settlements for himself. Some victims, already injured and financially strained, were pushed into poverty while Smith and his wife lived comfortably off the stolen money.
In October 2015, Smith pleaded guilty to Mail Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft and was sentenced to 96 months in federal prison. The case was investigated by the FBI and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Xavier Cunningham and Brad Patrick, with support from Litigation Specialist Dean Athanasopoulos.
“Wilson Smith’s actions in defrauding his clients represent a particularly egregious example of legal malfeasance,” said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “Being forced to drag out the claim to these funds only made it worse for the victims who were hurt once in a personal injury case, and then victimized again by their dishonest, greedy lawyer. We hope this resolution will give them at least a small measure of redemption.”
Related Federal Cases
Key Facts
- State: Georgia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
US NewsUS NewsUS NewsUS News