Warrington Attorney Took $563​K From Client Injured In Crash: DA

WARRINGTON, PA – A disbarred attorney from Warrington has been charged with multiple felonies in connection with the theft and misappropriation of more than $563,000 in insurance settlement funds, the district attorney in Montgomery County said Thursday.

Michael F. Bradley, 50, is charged with multiple first-degree felonies after detectives said he misappropriated more than $563,000 in insurance settlement funds intended to be used by a client who was seriously injured in a 2012 car crash.

Bradley was the legal representative for Branden Thornton, who received $1,105,000 for his lifelong care after he was hurt in a crash while walking along an Upper Merion Township road.

Through the representation agreement, Bradley received 25 percent of the gross award—which amounted to $276,250. He was also responsible for communicating with the insurance companies and paying his client's medical bills with the funds.

Thornton’s mother filed a complaint the through the Office of Disciplinary Counsel (ODC) of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania in March 2018 after Bradley told her the funds for her son’s care were depleted.

An investigation by the ODC found that the funds collected for Thornton had been mishandled by Bradley. There was also evidence of possible theft, prosecutors said. Based on that investigation, Bradley was disbarred in 2019, and the matter was referred to the District Attorney’s Office for possible criminal investigation.

An investigation by Montgomery County Detectives determined that between December 2014 and May 2017, Bradley misappropriated $563,840 of the $1,105,000 in settlement funds that came from insurance companies and the responsible driver.

The investigation also found that Bradley had co-mingled Thornton’s funds with his business account and had used those funds to pay for his personal expenses—such as $220,000 to his mortgage company to avoid foreclosure, renovations to his home, new furniture, vacations, plastic surgery, jewelry, college tuition, student loan payments, vehicle payments, nearly 1,000 purchases from Amazon, and other unauthorized expenses not for Thornton’s care, according to the Montgomery County District Attorney.

“The defendant’s theft of more than half a million dollars—funds that were dedicated to helping his client receive the care he needed to live—which he used to pay for extravagant goods and vacations, is not only illegal but disturbing on a basic human level,” Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said.

He has been charged with: dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities, theft by unlawful taking or disposition, theft by deception, receiving stolen property and theft by failure to make required disposition of funds received, and related charges.

Bradley was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Cathleen Rebar, who set bail at $250,000 unsecured. Bradley was released and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 1, 2020.