Former attorney sentenced for stealing money from special needs clients

TULSA, Okla. — A former Tulsa attorney and law professor accused of stealing money from people with intellectual disabilities will now spend a year and a half in prison.

According to court documents, Leslie Mansfield managed a trust for five adults with intellectual disabilities.

Those documents say from December 2011 through November 2017, Mansfield withdrew money from the trust accounts for her own personal use.

Mansfield, who was a licensed attorney in New Mexico and Oklahoma, was authorized to withdraw funds for the sole benefit of the client. Court documents say she withdrew funds for her own personal use and altered bank statements to hide the embezzlement.

One of the victims lost Medicaid benefits because Mansfield didn’t submit records for the client on a timely basis.

Mansfield was arrested by the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office in 2018 for exploitation of a vulnerable adult. Tuesday, she was sentenced 18 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. She must pay over $137,000 in restitution.