Lawyer Loses $650,000 Of Client's Money Playing Online Poker

Disbarred Dennis attorney John “Jack” Roberts Jr., 59, was back in court again last Friday, but it was he who was in the dock, this time accused of losing $650,000 of his client’s money whilst playing online poker.
The real estate lawyer and town volunteer pleaded guilty to ‘larceny over $250 by a single scheme’ in Barnstable Superior Court last week, and is currently in Taunton State Hospital undergoing psychological evaluation before a sentence is pronounced.
John “Jack” Roberts Jr’s destructive obsession with online poker was first brought to the attention of the law in 2007 after he stole $137,000 from Sandwich woman, the late Alice May’s $600,000 estate and wired it to his online gambling account.
While awaiting sentencing Roberts was being treated for mental health issues and had twice attempted suicide before finally being sentenced to house arrest.
Now a few years later, history has repeated itself with the discredited lawyer this time stealing $650,000 from his client and Middleboro resident Norman Sasville. In both instances John “Jack” Roberts Jr had managed to gain the confidence of his clients who thought of him as a friend and entrusted him with their money. In his free time, the hopeless gambler would then enter and lose online poker tournaments with his client’s funds.
Assistant district attorney Nicole Manoog, commented that Roberts “had some issues” and the presiding judge is now awaiting the results of his psychological evaluation before passing an appropriate sentence on June 9th.