A federal lawsuit accuses a San Antonio financial app company of deceiving customers about cash advances it offers. Credit: Wikimedia

Disgraced San Antonio lawyer Chris Pettit has received a 50-year federal prison sentence for wire fraud and money laundering charges, Justice Department officials said Wednesday.

U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia sentenced Pettit to 15 years each for three counts of wire fraud, according to the Justice Department. The former attorney got an additional five years on his money laundering charge.

Pettit, who pleaded guilty to the charges in October, would be 106 years old by the time of his release.

The sentencing draws to a close a nearly two-year-long legal saga, which transpired after reporting from the Express-News aired the concerns of clients who suspected Pettit may have embezzled funds they entrusted to him.

Instead of putting that money into investment funds, as promised, Pettit pocketed the cash to support his extravagant lifestyle, Justice Department officials said. Pettit stole somewhere between $20 million and $65 million from those clients, authorities added.

“Christopher Pettit used his position of trust as an attorney to defraud his clients of millions of dollars, in some cases their life savings, all for his own selfish benefit.” FBI Special Agent in Charge Aaron G. Tapp said in a statement. “Today’s sentence reflects the resolve of the FBI to bring to justice anyone who would take advantage of their position to line their own pockets.”

A hearing to decide how much Pettit owes in restitution will be held at a later date, according to federal authorities.

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This article appears in Feb 21 – Mar 5, 2024.

Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...