Newport man pleads guilty to posing as lawyer and defrauding clients

A Newport Beach man pleaded guilty Friday to posing as an attorney to steal from several clients he promised to help with debt consolidation and mortgage payments.

James Frank Barker, 59, pleaded guilty to 23 felonies, including grand theft, money laundering and forgery, with sentencing enhancements for aggravated white-collar crime between $100,000 and $500,000, property loss exceeding $200,000 and property damage exceeding $65,000.

He is scheduled to be sentenced June 26 in Orange County Superior Court in Santa Ana.

Barker posed as an attorney between December 2013 and July 2015, soliciting clients with promises to consolidate their debts and lower mortgage payments through loan modifications, according to the Orange County district attorney’s office.

Barker did not do any of the services he promised, prosecutors said.

Barker was arrested in May 2017. He initially entered a plea of not guilty.

Daily Pilot staff contributed to this report.

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