06/14/2006

Associated Press

An Edmonds lawyer is facing a felony theft charge following an allegation by authorities that she kept thousands of dollars that should have gone to a client.

Theresa Michelle Sowinski, 34, is charged with first-degree theft with an aggravating factor of being a major economic offense because she allegedly abused a position of trust.

In papers filed on Monday in Snohomish County Superior Court, the prosecutor's office said Sowinski transferred money that a client won in a property-dispute settlement into her personal account.

According to court papers, Sowinski told police the client owed her money for legal fees.

Sowinski told The Herald on Tuesday that she knew nothing about the charge against her.

In 2004, a woman hired Sowinski to help resolve ownership questions about a home the client hoped to sell. The client said she was told she would receive $102,000 and Sowinski wrote a check for about half that amount.

In court papers, deputy prosecutor Erica Temple said additional money wasn't provided, despite repeated demands.

The woman who said she was owed money hired another lawyer for assistance and that lawyer took the matter to police.

When confronted, Sowinski said she was a "lousy businesswoman" who has struggled to operate her practice, Temple wrote. Sowinski said she had converted her client's cash in the trust account for her own use, but it was to cover legal fees the woman owed.

Sowinski was admitted to practice law in Washington in 2002.

The Washington Bar Association has taken no action on the case.

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Information from: The Herald, http://www.heraldnet.com