SOUTHERN UTAH – Former attorney Matthew T. Graff pled guilty to two second-degree felonies in Iron County and one second-degree felony in Washington County, and Iron County Attorney Scott Garrett said there are 30 victims involved in the Iron County cases.

Graff, with his attorney Gregory Skordas, pled guilty Friday in Fifth District Court before Judge Robert Faust, a Third District Court judge who is temporarily assigned to the Fifth District Court for Graff’s case. His sentencing was set for Jan. 22.

Garrett said the two Iron County charges of unlawful dealing with property by a fiduciary and the Washington County charge of communications fraud stem from similar actions by Graff, who had law offices in both counties.

Graff was receiving money for his clients from settlements, but was not distributing the money to them, Garrett said.

Garrett said some of the victims were disappointed at the sentencing date, but it will take some time for the pre-sentence investigation report to be prepared.

The plea agreement included 30 separate restitution orders, with about $1.925 million owed to Iron County victims and about $450,000 owed to Washington County victims.

There is room in the plea agreement for additional victims to come forward, Garrett said. Any victims who have not yet come forward should talk to Detective Mike Bleak at the Cedar City Police Department, he said.

Garrett said the cases go back to injuries nearly 10 years ago that settlements were collected for. The amounts owed range from $1,700 to more than $700,000.

Matthew Tillery is owed $702,635 from a settlement after his wife, Marci, was killed in a plane accident in August 2008. He said the money came into Graff’s account last year on Jan. 22, he badly needs the funds that were never distributed to him.

His house is going into foreclosure this month and he is concerned about what his children will be getting for Christmas, so it is frustrating to him that Graff gets to go back to Seattle, where he believes he is living.

“His kids get Christmas,” he said.

“He didn’t care when he stole the money from me and Easton,” he added, referring to Easton Vigil, whose wife, Camie, was also killed in the crash. Graff owes Vigil $348,595.

Tillery said even though Graff pled guilty, it still just seems to be dragging on, and he is frustrated, feeling like he and his two young sons can’t move on.