The
plaintiffs’
bar
spends
a
lot
of
time
reminding
the
world
that
it
exists
to
hold
bad
actors
accountable.
Which
is
why
the
plea
struck
by
former
Motley
Rice
attorney
William
Christopher
Swett
lands
with
a
particularly
sour
thud.
Federal
prosecutors
say
Swett
didn’t
just
cut
corners
or
play
fast
and
loose
with
billing.
Instead,
from
at
least
2018
through
March
2024,
he
allegedly
ran
a
multi-year
fraud
scheme
that
involved
fake
companies,
fake
clients,
fake
claims,
and
very
real
money
—
at
least
$1.5
million
of
it
—
siphoned
from
his
own
firm
and
the
clients
he
was
supposed
to
be
representing.
According
to
charging
documents
filed
by
Assistant
U.S.
Attorney
Emily
Limehouse,
Swett
allegedly
“knowingly
devised
a
scheme
and
artifice
to
defraud
the
law
firm
and
his
clients”
using
(what
else)
false
representations,
fraudulent
pretenses,
and
a
whole
lot
of
creativity
that
would
have
been
better
applied
to
literally
anything
(legal).
To
further
the
scheme,
Swett
allegedly
created
multiple
legal
services
companies
that
were
designed
to
appear
legitimate.
He
then
allegedly
expensed
Motley
Rice
and
his
clients
for
services
that
were
never
performed,
padded
invoices
with
inflated
and
illegitimate
expenses,
and,
crucially,
failed
to
disclose
that
he
had
a
financial
interest
in
the
companies
receiving
the
money.
You
know.
Minor
details.
Federal
prosecutors
say
Swett
didn’t
stop
there.
He
allegedly
submitted
reimbursement
requests
for
fake
clients,
fabricated
death
and
personal
injury
claims,
and
even
falsified
medical
records
and
other
documents
to
keep
the
fraud
going.
“To
conceal
his
crimes,
Swett
laundered
the
funds
through
accounts
he
controlled
and
siphoned
the
money
for
his
own
personal
enrichment,”
the
prosecutor’s
office
said.
“Swett
fraudulently
obtained
at
least
$1.5
million.”
The
plea
agreement
covers
eight
felony
counts
total,
each
carrying
a
maximum
penalty
of
20
years
in
federal
prison,
along
with
potential
fines
of
up
to
$250,000.
Swett’s
attorney,
Nathan
Williams,
offered
the
familiar
mitigation
framework,
saying
Swett
had
“for
a
long
time”
struggled
with
“personal
challenges”
and
had
made
“poor
and
regretful
decisions.”
Williams
emphasized
that
Swett
“has
made
significant
changes
in
his
life”
and
that
the
plea
agreement
reflects
an
effort
to
show
accountability.
Williams
added
that
he
hopes
the
judge
will
eventually
hear
“the
full
explanation
for
the
circumstances
of
the
case,”
likely
at
sentencing.
As
for
Motley
Rice,
the
firm
issued
a
succinct
statement
through
a
spokesperson,
“We
await
the
next
steps
in
this
criminal
prosecution
regarding
this
former
employee.”
Which
is
about
as
restrained
as
you
can
be
when
one
of
your
former
lawyers
allegedly
spent
years
running
a
private
fraud
operation
while
holding
himself
out
as
a
champion
for
plaintiffs.
Kathryn
Rubino
is
a
Senior
Editor
at
Above
the
Law,
host
of
The
Jabot
podcast,
and
co-host
of
Thinking
Like
A
Lawyer.
AtL
tipsters
are
the
best,
so
please
connect
with
her.
Feel
free
to
email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
or
comments
and
follow
her
on
Twitter
@Kathryn1 or
Mastodon
@[email protected].