Florida lawyer Jason Penrod is facing a civil lawsuit over allegations he stole $1.8 million from the law firm he owned. He allegedly spent it all on gambling at the local Hard Rock Casino Tampa (pictured).
Penrod was the owner of Family Elder Law, operating out of Sebring in Central Florida. It abruptly closed its three branches in July 2024. The lawsuit says Penrod then sent letters to one of the plaintiffs confessing to embezzling $1.8 million to fund his casino gambling habits.
The lawsuit was filed by Charles Anderson and Sherry Prevoznik, the children of the deceased David D. Anderson. The Andersons had arranged a trust fund with Family Elder Law. They accuse Penrod of using their money to gamble, and they say he confessed.
Court documents included excerpts from the letter, which lawyers say Penrod confirmed to them was written by him. They were revealed in a recent report by Florida newspaper The Ledger.
“I would gamble until I exhausted our family’s savings, my law firm’s profits, all the while avoiding reality and any type of feeling (which is the only way I can explain not fearing the consequences of my irrational and immoral behavior),” the letter said.
“And then, once I received more money, I would gamble and lose those monies.”
The Alleged Theft
Penrod signed a trust with David D. Anderson in 2014, with his two children as sole beneficiaries. The senior Anderson died in 2021.
In June, Penrod closed the law firm as he was facing disciplinary action from the Florida Bar over unrelated charges. He then visited the two plaintiffs to discuss the winding down of his law firm’s operations. Which is when, the lawsuit says, that he handed over the letter confessing he had stolen the money.
The lawsuit says Penrod admitted transferring more than $1.8 million from the fund to his own personal accounts between October 2023 and January 2024. The letter said he spent it all gambling at Hard Rock Casino Tampa.
The Consequences
Penrod is almost certain to be at least suspended from practicing law in the immediate future. He could also face criminal charges, as well as paying restitution and damages to the plaintiffs.
On August 8, he filed a petition to the Florida Supreme Court to be given a disciplinary revocation. This would voluntarily suspend his license to practice law in Florida, but would leave it open to reapplication – something that would be unlikely if the case went to a full disciplinary tribunal.
According to this thread on a local Reddit forum, several dozen families are waiting for news on their agreements with Family Elder Law. It is unclear if anyone else will be seeking legal action.
In another recent Florida-based and gambling-related theft lawsuit, the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars are currently suing an ex-employee who was convicted of stealing $22 million from the team. Amit Patel used his illicit gains to, among other things, fund his high stakes daily fantasy sports habit. Back in March 2024, he was sentenced to six and half years in prison.
David is an online casino expert who specializes in online slots and boasts over 10 years experience writing about iGaming. He has written for a wide range of notable publications, including eSports Insider and WordPlay Magazine.
David graduated Derby University with a BA Degree in English Literature and Creative Writing.
