Los Angeles attorney accused of spending $10.2 million of company money ‘scammed friends out of thousands of dollars’

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A high-flying Los Angeles lawyer accused of defrauding an investor of $10.2 million and spending it on a Las Vegas hotel over six months now faces allegations that she defrauded thousands of friends as part of the scheme.

Sara Jacqueline King, 39, allegedly spent the money at the Wynn in Las Vegas and used the money to finance her own “extravagant lifestyle.”

LDR International is suing her, but claims she only has $11.98 to her name after splitting the money on the $300-a-night hotel.

A lawsuit filed in California’s Central District court charged her with breach of contract, fraud and civil theft and included several photos of her with NFL stars such as Aaron Rodger, Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes.

But now, former friends of the lawyer have come forward to say she scammed them out of thousands after convincing them she had high-profile connections.

Sara King, 39, is being sued by British Virgin Islands-based lender LDR International for the full amount, allegedly spent during a six-month spree at the Las Vegas hotel.

A lawsuit filed in California's Central District court charged her with breach of contract, fraud and civil theft, as well as several photos of her with NFL stars including Aaron Rodger, Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes.

A lawsuit filed in California’s Central District court charged her with breach of contract, fraud and civil theft, as well as several photos of her with NFL stars including Aaron Rodger, Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes.

Amal Obaid-Schmid, a trauma surgeon in California, said King is “ruthless” and “has no remorse or sympathy or respect for anyone.”

King hosted a 39th birthday party for Obaid-Schmid in a luxury suite at the hotel, which featured caviar, Dior logo cupcakes and a Chanel bag-shaped cake.

The doctor claims that she and her husband Steffen invested $410,000 in King’s scheme promising high returns to fund third-party loans, but were never repaid.

She told the Daily Beast: “We really just want him to stop victimizing people.”

Another friend, Yumi Sturdivant, said she gave King $10,000 after they reconnected, adding: “She needs to be stopped.” She’s not just stealing from the rich.’

Obaid-Schmid claims that King was a “high roller in Las Vegas” and that she and her husband were “in awe” of the lawyer.

They met her at the Wynn in February 2022, before becoming friends and spending time with King and her husband at their Los Angeles home.

Her second husband, Kamran Pahlavi, is the grandson of Iran's Princess Ashraf and described King as having a

Former friends of the lawyer have come forward to say she scammed them out of thousands after convincing them she had high-profile connections.

Lawyers for the loan company, which used to employ the Los Angeles attorney as an agent, say King recently told them he has no money.  A photo included in the lawsuit shows King's allegedly emptied bank accounts.

Lawyers for the loan company, which used to employ the Los Angeles attorney as an agent, say King recently told them he has no money. A photo included in the lawsuit shows King’s allegedly emptied bank accounts.

She added: ‘She was a high roller in Las Vegas. She would stay in this villa, I have never seen anything like this in my life.

‘Extravagant is an understatement. He hired a DJ who played in his villa and a magician.

But the couple was left out of pocket, in circumstances similar to those detailed in court documents for the charges brought against King.

British Virgin Islands firm LDR claims it made a series of loans to the King Family from January to October 2022 as part of a business investment.

She promised to use the funds to charge third-party borrowers and received $10.2 million in 97 loans.

King claimed they were secured by collateral including luxury cars, yachts, designer handbags, jewelry, watches, and winnings from professional sports contracts.

The Wynn's facade is seen on the Las Vegas Strip.  Lawyers say it was there that the Los Angeles lawyer took up residence for several months while carrying out the alleged fraud.

The Wynn’s facade is seen on the Las Vegas Strip. Lawyers say it was there that the Los Angeles lawyer took up residence for several months while carrying out the alleged fraud.

The lawsuit shows photos of the attorney with various NFL stars, which they claim were used to help boost her profile.

It alleged that she “engaged in massive fraud” and that “there were no third-party loans from King Lending to third-party borrowers.”

Her ex-husband, Kamran Pahlavi, ‘corroborated’ the allegations and ‘fled to Morocco’, with King accused of gambling 24/7 while staying at the hotel.

Pahlavi filed for divorce from King in late December, citing irreconcilable differences, and the couple separated after just nine months together, according to court records.

He told the Daily Beast that he introduced her to LDR because he wanted to help her grow her business.

The hotel developer said: ‘Everyone she met fell instantly in love with her. She had this kind of personality.

“Everything seemed perfect, we met great people every day and had a wonderful lifestyle at the Wynn.”

A friend, Yumi Sturdivant, said she gave King $10,000 after they reconnected and was scammed by her.

Another friend, Yumi Sturdivant, said she gave King $10,000 after they reconnected and was scammed by her.

Her ex-husband, Kamran Pahlavi, 'corroborated' the allegations and 'fled to Morocco', with King accused of gambling 24/7 while staying at the hotel.

Her ex-husband, Kamran Pahlavi, ‘corroborated’ the allegations and ‘fled to Morocco’, with King accused of gambling 24/7 while staying at the hotel.

But when he noticed the bank’s login was missing from one of the statements King gave him, he caught several other errors.

He added: ‘My whole life collapsed. I never had any idea that she was doing all this.

The lawsuit claims that King presented them with “fraudulent, falsified and altered King Lending bank statements” and that he “altered bank statements to show deposits/payments from third-party borrowers that were never actually made.”

He also claims that he sent photos to LDR and his agent Laurent R to gain their “trust”.

She sent them a photo of herself with NFL players at a Capital One golf tournament at Wynn Golf Club in 2022.

King now claims that he has no money and that he has $11.98 in his bank account, which is demonstrated on a screenshot.

The lawsuit claims that, as of February 9, King continued to ask for more money so that he could “attempt to recover the money he stole.”

She also said she had borrowers who were in the NHL, NBA, and MLB, as well as a friend who was a “hair extensions person” for the Kardashians.

The lawsuit claims that King also “falsely stated” that King Lending received $6.3 million in loan repayments from borrowers and “rearranged” the fund to cover more loans.