Disbarred Winston-Salem attorney convicted of embezzling $100,000 to fund crack cocaine addiction

A disbarred personal-injury lawyer who had offices in Winston-Salem, Greensboro and Raleigh was convicted Monday on charges he embezzled about $100,000 from clients.

Devin Ferree Thomas, 47, who lists a Charlotte address in court documents, pleaded guilty in Forsyth Superior Court to six counts of embezzlement. Judge David Hall of Forsyth Superior Court gave Thomas five suspended sentences totaling two years and six months to seven years and one month. Hall placed Thomas on five years of supervised probation, with a number of conditions. Those included a 10-day active jail sentence to be served in the first 100 days and 50 hours of community service that must be completed in the first 180 days.

Thomas is also subject to random drug tests and warrantless searches and seizures. According to Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O’Neill, Thomas embezzled thousands of dollars partly to support an addiction to crack cocaine.

Thomas also paid $100,000 in restitution to the N.C. State Bar Client Security Fund, which reimbursed the people Thomas embezzled money from. Hall ordered Thomas to pay the remaining balance of $3,338 over the next year.

Read more: http://www.journalnow.com/news/crime/disbarred-winston-salem-attorney-convicted-of-embezzling-to-fund-crack/article_7bb51adf-6bba-5d88-b692-51e4f0f3805b.html