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Vince Whibbs, Jr.

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[[Image:VinceWhibbsJr.jpg|right|Vince Whibbs, Jr.]]
'''Vincent John Whibbs, Jr.''', known as Vinnie, is one of the seven children of [[Vince Whibbs, Sr.]], He was a prominent Pensacola attorney until it was revealed in October [[2006]] that he had misappropriated $683,827 in client trust funds for his personal useinvestments. He was disbarred and sentenced to four years in prison.
==Personal life & education==Whibbs is accused received his undergraduate degree from the Springhill College in 1966. In 1968 he received his law degree from University of Florida. He served in the Marines' Judge Advocate General's Corps between 1968-1971. ==Law career & scandal==Whibbs was previously involved in the family's car dealership, [[Vince Whibbs Automotive]], until he began a law firm with his son [[Donovan Whibbs|Donovan]] and daughter-in-law [[Suzanne Whibbs|Suzanne]] called Whibbs & Whibbs (now [[Whibbs, Rayboun & Stone]]). Starting around 2001, Whibbs began soliticiting investments for [[Asbury Place (Gulf Breeze)|Asbury Place]], a Gulf Breeze Alzheimer care facility, by convincing potential investors it was actually the existing [[Asbury Place (Pensacola)|Pensacola facility]] of the same name. When Whibbs failed to return a $150,000 investment made by [[Dan and Roberta PepplerStephen Solice]], a fellow partner in the couple Gulf Breeze facility, noticed one of their business accounts had no money, he contacted the State Attorney's OfficeWhibbs, who transferred $489, which began an investigation. It was revealed that Whibbs had taken hundred of thousands more 000 from his clientslaw firm' s trust accounts to invest in other businesses and was unable to pay them back when those ventures failed.
On Whibbs was able to conceal the misappropriations because only he and his wife [[October 5Elizabeth Whibbs|Elizabeth]], 2006 Whibbs was disbarred by had access to the Florida Supreme Court for five years and charged with two counts of grand theft of over $100,000 and another charge of mortgage fraudtrust accounts. On Ffirm member [[May 7Michael Rayboun]]recommended hiring a new bookkeeper, [[2007Christine Bilbrey]], felony racketeering but was added instructed by Vinnie to "keep her out of the chargesbooks."<ref>[http://pnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AIDname="sentenced"/20070508/NEWS01/705080330/1006 > When Bilbrey discovered the plundered trust accounts in December 2004, Whibbs faces fourth charge]blamed his wife and fired her from the firm. Later, Pensacola News JournalBilbrey's office "was ransacked, May 8, 2007" she testified. "Everything pertaining to the banking and accounting was stolen out of my office."<ref name="sentenced"/ref> On [[July 3]] Whibbs pleaded no contest to the charges.
Another $500,000 went missing in 2005. [[Donovan Whibbs received ]] confronted his undergraduate degree from father, who again tried to blame poor bookkeeping before admitting he had invested the Springhill College money in 1966Asbury Place. In 1968 he received his law degree The firm's shareholders were promised that Whibbs "was going to make it all right" and replaced the missing money from University personal accounts and the firm's operating revenue.<ref name="sentenced"/> When Whibbs failed to return a $150,000 investment made by [[Dan and Roberta Peppler]], the couple contacted the State Attorney's Office, which began the investigation that revealed the scope of Whibbs's wrongdoings. On [[October 5]], [[2006]] Whibbs was disbarred by the FloridaSupreme Court for five years and charged with two counts of grand theft of over $100,000 and another charge of mortgage fraud. He served On [[May 7]], [[2007]], felony racketeering was added to the charges.<ref>[http://pnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070508/NEWS01/705080330/1006 Whibbs faces fourth charge], Pensacola News Journal, May 8, 2007</ref> Whibbs pleaded no contest on [[July 3]]. On [[August 17]], he was sentenced to four years in the Marines' state prison by [[1st Circuit Court|Circuit Court]] Judge Advocate General[[Jan Shackelford]]. Whibbs's Corps between 1968-1971attorney, [[Barry Beroset]], indicated he had no plans to appeal.<ref name="sentenced">"Whibbs Jr. sentenced." ''Pensacola News Journal'', August 18, 2007.</ref>
==References==
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[[Category:Scandals|Whibbs, Vince Jr]][[Category:AttorneysDisbarred attorneys|Whibbs, Vince Jr]]
[[Category:Whibbs family]]