Bruce David Bain, 57, a Tyler lawyer accused of stealing more than $200,000 from a divorce client in 2023, pleaded guilty in court on Tuesday.
According to an affidavit, Bain was accused of orchestrating a "scheme" to move funds out of a trust account belonging to his divorce client. The client stated that after selling her house with her husband, her half of the proceeds amounted to $235,551.44, which she claimed Bain deposited into a trust account under his firm's name. However, she alleged that Bain later informed her the money was "spent" and that while he could issue a check, she would be unable to cash it.
Bain entered his guilty plea in Judge Taylor Heaton’s court on Tuesday and was sentenced to seven years’ probation. He was also ordered to pay the victim $235,000 in restitution. Assistant District Attorney Richard Vance stated that Bain will be prohibited from practicing law during his probationary period.
