Ga. Lawyer Pleads Guilty to Ponzi Scheme Worth $2 Million

For nearly four years, Georgia attorney Steven H. Ballard capitalized on his credibility as a real estate and business law attorney to bilk friends and clients of more than $2 million in what federal prosecutors say was a Ponzi scheme in which Ballard siphoned more than $200,000 for his personal use. But the fraud scheme, to which Ballard pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court last week, was only one symptom of his failure as a lawyer.