A disbarred attorney, who previously served a prison sentence for stealing money from clients, pleaded guilty to separate allegations of wire fraud and making false statements to law enforcement while allegedly attempting to illegally claim COVID-19 pandemic benefits, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Washington announced Friday.

Darlene Baker, also known as Darlene Piper, of Port Orchard, Washington, was previously licensed to handle wills, trusts, and probate of estates. However, she was sentenced to 18 months in prison in March 2022, for allegedly stealing from a deceased client's estate and defrauding a friend as part of a multi-year scheme. Baker had planned to steal a $500,000 bequest to a children's hospital and then a second $500,000 stolen from a friend, the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a media release in March 2022.