Attorney Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Embezzlement

An area attorney was sentenced to 24 months in prison for the embezzlement of client funds from estates and family trusts, a portion of which was intended for .

Steven Gartenberg, 46, of Creve Coeur, embezzled more than $300,000 from clients from 2006-2009 by either diverting funds to his law firm or converting them for personal use, said a statement released Friday by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Missouri.

Between February and July 2009, a client turned over $411,000 to Gartenberg to distribute per the direction of the trust. A portion of those monies was to be paid to Kirkwood United Methodist Church, the Alzheimer’s Association and three individuals. The total loss to the estate exceeds $100,000 as a result of Gartenberg diverting funds, the statement said.

The Kirkwood United Methodist Church has already received money that was meant for the institution, Bob Rowlinson, chair of the board of Kirkwood United Methodist, .

Other instances of embezzlement include the diversion of $200,000 between March 2007 and June 2009 from a client who was deemed mentally incapable of managing her assets, as well as the diversion of money in collection matters. Details about these incidents can be found in the attached statement.

in June. The Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.