Sonya Eddings pleads guilty to stealing $2.3 million in federal court

The former wife of a prominent Columbus real estate closing attorney pleaded guilty Tuesday afternoon in federal court for her role in a scheme to steal more than $2.3 million from her then-husband’s legal trust account.

Sonya Eddings, 51, appeared in front of U.S. District Court Judge Clay Land and freely admitted her role in years of fraud that was discovered in October 2012. She entered a guilty plea to one count of wire fraud and faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Land will sentence her on Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. in the Columbus federal courthouse. Currently living in Pennsylvania, Eddings was released on an unsecured $10,000 bond until sentencing.

The guilty plea comes almost four years after Columbus Bank & Trust Co. alerted Muscogee County Superior Court about shortfalls in attorney Michael Eddings real estate trust account. Since the fraud was discovered, Michael Eddings has maintained his innocence, saying his wife was solely responsible for the missing funds. No criminal charges have been filed against Michael Eddings, though he does face potential disbarment from the Georgia Supreme Court.

The Eddingses have since divorced, and Michael Eddings has remarried.

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