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Casino-Addicted Lawyer Will Head To Prison

2009_03_areliat.jpg Remember Arelia Taveras? She's the lawyer who tried to sue casinos for $20 million for allowing her to gamble, when clearly she was addicted to gambling, pointing out, "They knew I was going for days without eating or sleeping. I would pass out at the tables." But Taveras, who once made $500,000/year and used $100,000 of her clients' money to cover her gambling losses (estimated at $1 million), lost that suit. recently pleaded guilty to charges from the Queens DA's office, which said she "violated her clients' trust and let down the entire legal system, which counts on members of the bar to conduct themselves in an ethical manner." She is expected to be sentenced to over three years of prison time. You can see videos of Taveras telling her clients she will pay them back here.

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Comments [rss]

  • let her gamble her food away to a big butch inside.

  • wobbleSmith

    account-a-wha-ility?

  • ides_of_march

    Gamblers, or should I say the mathematically-challenged, have themselves to blame. As with any other addict, they will lie, rationalize, steal and dry to drag those closest to them down into their deranged little world.

  • NannyState

    You mean like Bill Bennett, who lost millions from his gambling addiction?

  • ides_of_march

    That was a non-partisan comment. Sorry to have confused you.

  • NannyState

    So was mine. Bill Bennett isn't a political party.

  • JenChungsBaby

    Gambling is one addiction that I don't understand. I wish they had more episodes of Intervention about gambling addicts.

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