An attorney who practices in Newport Beach and resides in Huntington Beach is accused of stealing $117,000 from a
widow after representing her in a case regarding her late husband's life
insurance policy.
Redmond Peter McAneny, 55, could get up to four years in state prison if he is convicted of grand theft by embezzlement with a
sentencing enhancement for property damage over $65,000.
The Orange County District Attorney's Office statement on his arrest follows after the jump . . .
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December 13, 2010
ATTORNEY CHARGED WITH STEALING $117,000 FROM WIDOW AFTER LATE HUSBAND'S LIFE INSURANCE SETTLEMENTSANTA ANA – An attorney has been charged with stealing $117,000 from a
widow after representing her in a case regarding her late husband's life
insurance policy. The money had been deposited into a client trust
account as mandated by law. Redmond Peter McAneny, 55, Huntington Beach,
is charged with one felony count of grand theft by embezzlement with a
sentencing enhancement for property damage over $65,000. If convicted,
he faces a maximum sentence of four years in state prison. McAneny was
arrested today by Orange County District Attorney's Office (OCDA)
Investigators. The People will request he be held on $250,000 bail at
his arraignment in Department CJ-1, Central Jail, Santa Ana. The date
and time are to be determined.In 2008, McAneny is accused of representing widow Debbie S. in securing
her late husband's life insurance proceeds. The victim and her husband
had been going through a divorce and he had changed the terms of his
trust before his death, leaving it unclear if his wife or son would
receive his life insurance benefits. A settlement was reached to divide
the insurance policy in half, and a check for over $117,000 was issued
to a trust fund account for Debbie S. on July 10, 2008.On July 15, 2008, after depositing the check into his client trust fund
account, McAneny is accused of stealing the $117,000 from Debbie S. and
depleting the trust account by writing himself numerous checks with no
reference to any case. McAneny is accused of failing to pay the victim
any of her settlement.This case was investigated by the OCDA and State Bar of California.
Deputy District Attorney Lynda Fernandez of the Special Prosecutions Unit is prosecuting this case.
OC Weekly Editor-in-Chief Matt Coker has been engaging, enraging and entertaining readers of newspapers, magazines and websites for decades. He spent the first 13 years of his career in journalism at daily newspapers before “graduating” to OC Weekly in 1995 as the alternative newsweekly’s first calendar editor.