Former Michigan investment advisor sentenced in embezzling case

DETROIT — A former Kent County investment advisor was sentenced Wednesday to prison for embezzling $260,000 from clients.

Jaime Westenbarger used online transfers to steal from clients of Forest Hills Financial Inc. after promising to invest their money, the Michigan Attorney General's Office announced in a release Friday.

The 46-year-old, who now lives in Nashville, Tennessee, pleaded guilty in January.

Judge Scott Noto of Kent County's 17th Circuit Court sentenced Westenbarger to serve between 2.5 and 20 years' incarceration for two counts of embezzling $100,000 or more, according to the release.

Westenbarger must also serve a concurrent sentence of between 2.5 and 15 years for embezzling at least $50,000, authorities wrote.

The prosecution dismissed other related charges against Westenbarger because he paid a total of $160,000 in victim restitution before the end of his delayed sentenced, according to the release.

Westenbarger had owed $60,000 in remaining restitution payments as of January.

The other charges included conducting a criminal enterprise and three counts of using a computer to commit a crime. Westenbarger agreed that victims of those uncharged offenses have the right to seek restitution, officials said Friday.

"As an investment advisor, Mr. Westenbarger was entrusted with his clients’ life savings and their aspirations for the future,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in the release. “Without the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs referring this matter and the diligent efforts of prosecutors in my office, the defendant could have devastated countless more lives, and securing this sentence or restitution may have been impossible."

Westenbarger's attorney, Joseph Brugnoli, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.