News : C.R. attorney sentenced for fraud; had represented some Benton Co. clients

A former attorney who has represented some Benton County residents has sentenced to more than four years in federal prison for defrauding 14 clients. Susan Hense, 54, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 20, 2014, guilty plea to one count of wire fraud. Hense admitted to a gambling addiction in a disbarment hearing. In a plea agreement, Hense admitted that she knowingly made up a scheme to defraud the clients of her law firm, Hense Law PLC, and to obtain money from her clients under false pretenses and promises. Hense admitted that she falsely represented to her clients that money belonging to them would be held in trust on their behalf in a bank account when, in fact, Hense intended to steal at least a portion of the clients’ money. Hense further admitted that over a three year period, she stole and misappropriated at least $837,011.31 in client funds. Hense has since been disbarred and can no longer practice law in Iowa. Hense was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade. Hense was sentenced to 51 months’ imprisonment. A special assessment of $100 was imposed, and she was ordered to make $860,396.41 in restitution the victims of her fraud. She must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Hense was released on conditions of release previously set and is to surrender to the United States Marshal on January 20, 2015. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and was investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department. Court records indicated that Hense has represented several people in divorce and estate proceedings in Benton County over the past decade, but none of the clients involved in this criminal case were from Benton County. Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/. The case file number is 14-CR-00109.