Ex-Wheaton attorney sentenced to prison for stealing from dead clients

WHEATON, Ill. -- A former suburban Chicago attorney has been sentenced to 54 months in prison for bilking the estates of several of clients.

Robert Beck of Mount Prospect was accused of taking money from a client's estate and using it for personal and business expenses. He then would steal money from another client's trust and use that money to repay the estates of previous victims.

According to DuPage County prosecutors, between July 2011 and Jan. 2015 Beck shuffled about $1.2 million between trusts in an effort to cover up his illegal activities. The scheme came to light when a bank investigator became suspicious and contacted law enforcement officials.

The 50-year-old Beck, who was disbarred in 2016, pleaded guilty to theft in exchange for prosecutors dropping charges that could have resulted in a prison sentence of up to 30 years.