Media Release: June 18, 2013

Indianapolis attorney sentenced to six years for estate theft David Rees pleads to Theft and Obstruction of Justice

(Indianapolis, Ind.) -- The Marion County Prosecutors Office announced today that David Rees pleaded guilty and has been sentenced to six years for the theft of more than $270,000 from an estate that he was charged with managing. Under the plea agreement, Rees pleaded guilty as charged and was convicted of Theft (Class C Felony) and Obstruction of Justice (Class D Felony). Rees was ordered to serve four years on home detention followed by two years of probation. He was also ordered to pay $270,000 in restitution. According to the probable cause affidavit, Rees drafted the will and was executor of the estate for his client Benjamin Roberts. Eight years after the clients death, a total of approximately $400,000 was unaccounted for out of the estate. Rees has acknowledged diverting $270,549 of the estate funds to his personal account. Rees was also charged with Obstruction of Justice for filing a fraudulent final accounting in the estate, which indicated the unaccounted for funds were still in the estate. Mr. Rees abused the position of trust he was given by the Roberts family, stealing from the very account he was obligated to protect, Prosecutor Terry Curry said. As attorneys, we are bound by our oath to support the rule of law in every respect. We will accordingly vigorously prosecute those attorneys who have not only failed to uphold that standard, but have engaged in criminal conduct. The sentencing of Rees, 73, is the second conviction of an Indianapolis attorney in the past year. In 2012, the prosecution of Stacy Sheedy, a lawyer and an accountant, lead to a guilty plea to two counts of Theft for stealing $596,000 from guardianship and family trust accounts that supported her elderly and disabled clients. She is currently serving an eight year sentence in the Indiana Department of Correction. A charge of a crime is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. -30-