A Kirkland lawyer has been charged with 17 counts of theft for allegedly embezzling more than $430,000 from his clients from March 2010 to September 2013.

Redmond resident and personal injury attorney Brian Kirk Boddy, 50, told police he stole the money to maintain his lifestyle, according to court documents. Boddy, who is in the midst of a divorce, said that he and his wife had grown accustomed to a lifestyle that generated living expenses of $40,000 per month.

“He stated that at one time his practice was lucrative enough to support this lifestyle but when his income began to falter he began using money he obtained from client settlements to cover the gap,” the documents continue.

Boddy was hired for various personal-injury cases against insurance carriers. Some of the victims were led to believe their cases were ongoing when a settlement had already been reached. Boddy did this by allegedly forging client signatures on documents. Detectives were able to confirm that checks were received and deposited into a bank account under Boddy’s name.

In one case, a client was advised to settle but she refused. Boddy settled the case without her knowledge for $12,000. The $7,850 due to the client was never paid. The client eventually found out from the insurance carrier about the settlement and that the check was issued to Boddy.

In another case, Boddy represented a woman injured in a car accident who had accumulated thousands of dollars in medical bills. The client never received her portion of the $175,000 settlement.

Boddy reached settlements in two other cases in the amounts of $154,000 and nearly $63,000, with the client received nothing. Prosecutors believe that there maybe 17 clients who were not paid their setlement money.

When detectives met with Boddy at his attorney’s office he admitted to obtaining more than $290,000 in settlements for clients and either never paid the clients their percentage or obtained the settlement without their knowledge and pocketed the money. The King County prosecutor wrote in court documents that the amount alleged by Boddy’s clients is much greater than Boddy’s claim.

Many of the clients reported that they had hired Boddy in 2009 and were misled regarding their settlements as recently as 2013. Police have obtained statements from at least 13 separate clients with similar claims, the documents continue.

Boddy has since resigned his Washington State Bar License as a result of action taken by one of his clients. His arraignment is scheduled for June 19 in King County Superior Court.