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Casino-Addicted Lawyer Will Head To Prison
By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 27, 2009
Modified Mar 27, 2009
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By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 27, 2009
Modified Mar 27, 2009
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Remember Arelia Taveras? She's the lawyer who tried to sue casinos for $20 million for allowing her to gamble, when clearly she was addicted to gambling, pointing out, "They knew I was going for days without eating or sleeping. I would pass out at the tables." But Taveras, who once made $500,000/year and used $100,000 of her clients' money to cover her gambling losses (estimated at $1 million), lost that suit. recently pleaded guilty to charges from the Queens DA's office, which said she "violated her clients' trust and let down the entire legal system, which counts on members of the bar to conduct themselves in an ethical manner." She is expected to be sentenced to over three years of prison time. You can see videos of Taveras telling her clients she will pay them back here.
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Arelia Taveras
gambling
lawsuit
stealing
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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