Disbarred Kissimmee Lawyer Sentenced in Elder Fraud Case

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on December 15, 2011

Orlando personal injury attorney James O. Cunningham is closely following developments in an elder abuse case that casts all legal professionals in a bad light. A disbarred Kissimmee lawyer was recently sentenced to two years in prison for defrauding elderly people out of their life’s savings. Linda Vasquez, who is also known as Linda Littlefield, pleaded no contest last spring to charges that she created a scheme that defrauded senior citizens out of $20,000 or more. The State of Florida dropped 11 counts of fraudulent use of personal identification information in the case, but the 40-year-old ex-lawyer was ordered to pay an undisclosed amount of restitution to her victims.

Vasquez’s ex-husband, 47-year-old Ross Littlefield, is scheduled to receive his sentence in connection with the elder fraud case on February 24. He pleaded no contest this month to one count of fraudulent use of a credit card. The state dropped ten more fraud charges and one count of scheme to defraud against him in connection with the case. The ex-couple are the targets of numerous lawsuits, as are the pooled trust they controlled, foundations that administered the trust and Medicaid Benefits Experts, a company Vasquez created in Tampa in 2010 after her initial arrest. The plaintiffs in the lawsuits claim that hundreds of thousands of dollars held in the trust have disappeared, representing the entire life’s savings of many victims.

Mr. Cunningham is indignant at the actions of the former couple for two reasons: they preyed upon and defrauded vulnerable seniors, and at least one of them betrayed their professional and moral obligations as an attorney. Simply put, their actions are unconscionable and indefensible.

Mr. Cunningham has built his reputation as an aggressive Orlando personal injury lawyer helping people injured in accidents, but he also has a proven record of success helping victims of elder abuse. His skills and experience building effective personal injury cases have helped countless victims of abuse and their families receive the fair and just compensation they deserve. If you or someone you love is a victim of elder abuse of any kind and you would like to learn more about the law, your rights and your legal options, call Mr. Cunningham today at 888-425-2004 or 407-425-2000 to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.