A former lawyer in Rockville, Maryland, was sentenced to 10 years Wednesday for stealing more than $100,000 from a Prince George’s County divorce client by taking profits from their mortgage sale.
Bruce Bergman, 74, pleaded guilty to theft of property of more than $100,000 last December. He was sentenced to 10 years, with one year spent in prison and the following five years under supervised probation. That term will begin on June 3.
Bergman was also ordered to pay $107,000, half going to the client protection fund, and half to the victim.
Bergman was appointed by a court in 2014 to sell the home of a couple amid a divorce. He took the proceeds of that sale, totaling more than $107,000, and spent them for himself.
State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy said that she is glad Bergman is paying the price for using his position of trust for personal gain.
“I am pleased that we were able to hold Mr. Bergman accountable for his crime,” Braveboy said. “As an officer of the court, who was appointed by the court, he had a fiduciary responsibility to ensure that the victims, in this case, received the best representation.”