By Daily Press staff
SM COURTHOUSE — Four new charges have been levied against a Santa Monica woman who allegedly posed as a lawyer and took more than $60,000 from her clients.
Anita Laureen Clark is free on $150,000 bond. Her arraignment has been scheduled for Feb. 10 so that probation officers can meet with and evaluate her.
Clark, who worked out of several area offices, including one at 204 Bicknell St., is accused of allegedly bilking 31 clients out of a total of $60,152. If convicted, Clark faces up to 37 years in prison and tens of thousands of dollars in fines. Before her arrest, the Santa Monica District Attorney’s Office tracked her for months.
Richard DeBro, Clark’s Santa Monica-based attorney, did not return calls seeking comment.
Previously, Clark faced 15 counts of grand theft by fraud, 21 counts of practicing law without a license and five counts of illegally acting as an immigration consultant. The four new charges, filed Jan. 6, are all for illegally acting as an immigration consultant.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 27, 2004. Read the original PDF.