MADISON COUNTY, MS (Mississippi News Now) -
Sentencing has been postponed for a Ridgeland attorney who has admitted to swindling hundreds of thousands of dollars from his former clients.
District Attorney Michael Guest addressed the media Monday morning at Madison County Circuit Court to say the sentencing for Attorney Van Leonard originally scheduled for Monday has been postponed one week to Monday, June 18.
Leonard, who practiced law in Ridgeland, faces 60 years behind bars and a $750,000 fine.
Leonard has plead guilty to three counts of embezzlement.
He's admitted to misleading two of his former clients between June 2008 and December 2011.
Leonard told his clients he'd hold their money in his trust account for legal fees, when he actually spent the funds for his own personal use.
According to the FBI, Leonard received more than $362,000 from one client who believed his money was safely held in an escrow account for legal fees.
A second client believed $4,000 paid to Leonard was going towards legal matters.
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