Disbarred Belleville attorney Thomas Andrew White, 51, was scheduled to be released from prison on Tuesday, June 18, after serving about four years and two months of an original 5-20-year sentence.
Registered victims of White received letters announcing White would be released and be on parole until June 18, 2020.
White was sentenced to 5-20 years in prison in 2015 for embezzling money from many of his clients in the Belleville area, many being senior citizens. His office had been on Main Street, across from city hall, for 20 years.
He pled nolo contendere to the 20 felony charges brought against him.
Defense attorney James Murray appealed White’s case, saying his client had been mischarged. He said the racketeering conviction was defective, legally and practically, and he said the prosecutor agreed.
Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Margaret Van Houten dismissed the racketeering activity, the most serious of the 20 charges. Murray said racketeering is impossible for a person working alone, which White was.
On March 21, Judge Van Houten resentenced White on his other charges to time served. That amounted to 3 years and 98 days (1,453 credit days). He pled nolo contendere to the charges as he did in 2015. His previous costs and fees assessed and owed remain in effect at $1,234,329.
White originally was sentenced by retired Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Dalton A. Roberson, who was on temporary duty with the court and filled in for Judge Van Houten on April 19, 2015 when White was sentenced the first time.
Judge Roberson ordered White to pay restitution of more than $1.1 million to 14 victims. It was noted at the time that there should be 25 names on the list since money White embezzled from several estates affected those who were due to inherit the money.
Since White was incarcerated, several other people have told their stories to the Independent about how they had been defrauded by White, but had not come forward. Later, a real estate agent said some of the property work done by White in the past had to be corrected through court action.
White is expected to return to the Belleville area upon his release from prison. He most recently was at the Central Michigan Correctional Facility in Gratiot County. His maximum discharge date was March 28, 2035, as listed on the Michigan Department of Corrections’ Offender Tracking System website.
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4 Comments
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My mother was one of the victim’s of tom white she lost our family home her father built in 1932 at 19120 martinsville because of his robbery. My mothers name is dianna arquette an she has never be compensated one penny not that you could replace her childood home which she also raised me and my sister in.
I am still trying to work through the damage he did. He did not file paperwork that was paid for to add names to property in another state. I am paying for court costs Again. He cost my mother her life. Pamela Ann Hall (Mills) and betrayed every oath he swore. Shame on you Tom. You have your life, my mother does not.
https://mdocweb.state.mi.us/OTIS2/otis2profile.aspx?mdocNumber=950175
Man this guy is such a piece of trash, I truly wish he would have been given life in prison, hurt so many people. He’s worse than a rapist or murder. I hope he can’t find work, and has to live on the street.
I was one of his victims but due to a move to a different state I was unable to get here to have my name put on the list Thomas White took $10,000 that I paid him for services that never got done in which I ended up getting sued over and had to put out another 10,000 out of my pocket