Money-laundering lawyer dodges prison

A former partner at Chicago-based law firm Winston & Strawn who used his position to launder more than $18m for convicted Ponzi schemer Kenneth Starr will not serve any prison time, a judge ruled yesterday.

Chicago: Home to Winston & Strawn

The New York Law Journal reports that in May 2011Jonathan Bristol pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering after he was found to have used client accounts to rinse cash for investment adviser Starr, who was sentenced to seven and half years in for the $35m scheme in March of that year.
Mr Bristol, who made no financial gain from his actions, was sentenced to time-served and a three-year supervision order after he and his lawyer, New York-based Susan Kellman, applied to the court for leniency. Assistant US Attorney Michael Bosworth had sought a five-year prison term.

Seduced by glamour

Mr Bristol, 57, told Judge Deborah Batts: ‘It has been my dream to be a lawyer and to be a member of the bar. I'm sorry about the events that occurred. I was wrong. I know it was wrong.’
The former partner added that he was seduced by Mr Starr’s list of celebrity clients, who included Lauren Bacall, Nora Ephron and Matt Lauer.
‘The glamour did appeal to me and I thought by helping him with these wire transfers it could help me [enhance] my practice,’ Mr Bristol said, adding later, ‘I just wanted somebody to pat me on the head, pat me on the back and Ken Starr did that for me.’

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