A lawyer embezzled tens of thousands from Kansas couple -- now they may lose their home

When Roger and Marcia Altis’ family business didn’t quite work out as planned — especially after Roger’s first heart attack — they decided to file for bankruptcy.

Medical and other bills had piled up. The Internal Revenue Service came calling, demanding tax money.

So the Eureka couple hired a Wichita attorney who they thought would help shepherd them through the financial mess.

Instead, that attorney, Christopher O’Brien, made it worse — by stealing money meant to pay down the Altises’ debt.

O’Brien, 69, last month pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement in the case — and agreed to pay nearly three-quarters of a million dollars in restitution to the Altises and two other clients who accused him of thievery. He’s set for sentencing at the federal courthouse in Wichita on June 3, according to court records.

Read more: https://www.kansas.com/news/local/crime/article229189754.html#