Minnesota criminal defense attorney disbarred after swindling thousands from client
A Minnesota criminal defense attorney who swindled thousands from one of her clients in 2018 has been disbarred.
The Minnesota Supreme Court disbarred Kristi McNeilly, of Woodbury, from the practice of law after the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility filed a petition for disciplinary action against her.
McNeilly was convicted of theft by swindle in October 2021 for taking $15,000 from one of her clients. She was sentenced to 18 days in the workhouse and ordered to pay $15,000 in restitution. She was also placed on probation for three years.
Court documents say McNeilly stole the money from her client by telling them the money was needed to bribe government officials to dismiss pending drug charges.
McNeilly told the victim that if he paid $35,000 to a police union and worked as an informant, he could avoid the charges. The victim was also told that if he did not want to work as an informant, he could pay $50,000 to the police union to make his charges disappear.
Charges say McNeilly drove the victim to the bank, where he paid a $15,000 cashier's check to McNeilly as a partial payment.
The issue was reported when the victim contacted another attorney who informed him he had likely been swindled.
A search of McNeilly's bank records showed she spent the money on her mortgage, credit card payments and other personal spending.
McNeilly appealed her conviction, which the court of appeals affirmed. The Minnesota Supreme Court also affirmed her conviction in 2024.
McNeilly, who began practicing law in Minnesota in 2004, had been disciplined on two prior occasions and was publicly reprimanded and placed on probation for three years in 2015.