Disbarred lawyer Todd Linville was sentenced Thursday to 32 years in prison for stealing millions from the trusts and estates of his elderly clients, leaving them financially and emotionally devastated.
Denver District Judge William Robbins was not moved when Linville said that if spared prison, he’d pay back every cent of the $3,349,465.61 prosecutors say he owes.
“The fact is you were a very successful lawyer,” Robbins told Linville. “You knew better because you went to law school. You took their lives.”
Even if freed, his victims would never see the money because of their advanced ages, the judge said. When he pleaded guilty in July, Linville, 46, admitted he stole from 10 estates or trusts.
Prosecutor Joe Morales told the courtroom packed with victims and relatives of Linville and his first wife, Nancy Gaede, who has since died, that the former lawyer had betrayed the profession and his clients.
“For somebody to take that oath, to take their money and spend it is unbelievable,” Morales told Robbins.
Morales relied heavily on a 16-page sentencing memorandum he gave Robbins in asking for a long sentence. In it, Morales said that when Linville’s victims met with Linville and talked about their assets, they couldn’t have imagined how their money would be misused.
“They had no idea that their life savings would be used by their lawyer to spend on a lifestyle of fancy cars, personal airplanes, jewelry, European vacations, daily visits to adult entertainment establishments or his kids,” Morales said.
Several of Linville’s family members said they were deeply disappointed in him. Linville, who made a statement in court, said he let everyone down.
“I’d like to apologize to all my clients. I’m sorry I took all their money. You trusted me and I let you down,” Linville said.
Linville looted the estate of one of his clients, Charla Mae Hall, within days of her murder in 2004. Hall was shot three times. Her death is under investigation.
Linville blamed his ex-wife for his problems, saying that under the divorce settlement, he had to pay her money he didn’t have. The statement upset Nancy’s parents, Miriam and Bill Gaede.
“That really hurt me,” Bill Gaede said. “He didn’t keep his marriage vows or his legal obligations.”
Morales said Linville continued to steal thousands of dollars after Nancy’s death.
The most stinging rebuke of Linville came from the eldest of his three sons, Wiley Matthew “Matt” Linville, who cried and choked on his words Thursday as he condemned his father. “I want him to know that I’m very, very disappointed in him,” Matt Linville said. “My two other brothers are disappointed with him. I’m very sorry what he did to the (victims’) families.”
Staff writer Howard Pankratz can be reached at 303-820-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com.
