Sandusky attorney allegedly stole $535K from clients, used money to gamble

Karl Rominger, one of the attorneys who represented former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky in his sex abuse trial, has been charged with stealing more than $535,000 from clients.

According to PennLive.com, Rominger used the stolen money “for personal use and for gambling at casinos.” As a result, Rominger was charged with 25 theft and fund misappropriation charges in Cumberland County (Pa.) court on Friday. Les Freehling, Cumberland County’s chief detective, told PennLive.com that more charges could be piled on.

When contacted, Rominger, who said he has not gambled since last March, was apologetic.

“I apologize to everybody that I wronged,” Rominger said. “I look forward to accepting the consequences and putting this behind me, while making restitution.”

The investigation into Rominger, who is free on $250,000 bond, began more than a year ago and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court “accepted Rominger’s voluntary surrender of his law license last spring.”

According to the arrest report, Rominger’s alleged crimes were discovered in January 2014 “as a result of financial irregularities” from a divorce case involving one of his clients. Freehling wrote in the report that Rominger “failed to turn over $147,883 from the sale of the marital home” involved in the divorce case.

He allegedly cheated other clients as well. From PennLive:

(Rominger’s attorney William C.) Costopoulos provided information, which Rominger later confirmed, that about $800,000 of client money was missing from a bank account Rominger was legally required to maintain to hold such funds, Freehling wrote. He said the misappropriations cited in the newly-filed criminal case involve money due to an auto accident victim from a settlement, the money owed to the divorced couple, and funds due to the survivors of a woman whose estate Rominger represented. That tally comes to $535,135, the detective wrote.

Freehling also pointed out that the “disarray” of Rominger’s financial records have made it difficult to locate other foul play. Claims of "attorney-client privilege" have also stood in the way of investigators. Nonetheless, Rominger's records are still being looked in to.

District Attorney David Freed said investigators are still working with a forensic accountant as they pore over Rominger's financial records. "In these large white collar thefts it requires not only proving money is missing, but also tracing where it went," Freed said. "There is at least one other substantial situation we are looking at, and perhaps more," Freed said.

Rominger was the second chair at the defense table for Sandusky, who in June 2012 was convicted of sexually abusing 10 boys and is currently serving a 30-to-60 year term in prison.