Former Everett lawyer’s sentencing for fraud delayed
Published 10:49 pm Monday, October 13, 2008
SEATTLE — A former Everett attorney who admitted defrauding his clients now won’t be sentenced until the end of October.
Barry Hammer, 62, had been scheduled for sentencing Friday, but an extension to Oct. 31 has been granted at his attorney’s request. The reason: separate medical emergencies for relatives of Hammer and his lawyer, according to court papers.
Hammer originally had been scheduled for sentencing in September. In May, he pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Seattle to a single count of wire fraud. He faces years in federal prison.
As part of the plea agreement, Hammer admitted engaging in a scheme to defraud clients of up to $1 million. He offered tax shelters and retirement funds through his law practice, not warning clients that the money actually was going into his pockets or that their investments, in many cases, were bankrolled by little more than his promises to pay.
Hammer’s sentencing earlier was delayed in part because of the complex $13 million bankruptcy that helped unveil Hammer’s criminal conduct. Unresolved legal questions remain, including reaching agreement between Hammer and the government on the amount of restitution he should be required to pay, Hammer attorney Russell Aoki wrote in court papers filed Sept. 23.
Hammer’s law firm was a fixture in downtown Everett for years, with offices across from the Snohomish County Courthouse. His fraud was exposed in 2004 when a former law partner realized what was happening and reported the violations to the Washington State Bar Association. Hammer surrendered his attorney’s license in lieu of disbarment. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison.
