Reedsburg lawyer pleads guilty to stealing over $1.6M from client’s estate trust 

The Wisconsin State Journal reports that Reedsburg lawyer Kristin D. Lein, 60, pleaded guilty yesterday to embezzling upwards of $1.6 million from a client’s estate trust account while acting as trustee between 2019 and 2022.

Lein pleaded guilty to wire fraud, money laundering, and filing a false tax return; she used the stolen funds for personal expenses, including home improvements, dental work, vehicles, and pet supplies.

The fraud charge carries a 20-year imprisonment maximum; money laundering carries up to 10 years; and the tax conviction carries up to three years.

Under a plea agreement, Lein’s attorneys and federal prosecutors have agreed to seek a sentence of 41–51 months in prison. Sentencing by U.S. District Judge William Conley is set to occur Sept. 7.

The charges against Lein were the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division.