A disbarred Santa Maria Valley attorney has been sentenced in Santa Barbara County Superior Court to six years in state prison and ordered to pay nearly $675,000 in restitution for financial crimes involving an elderly client.

Debbie Morawski, 52, previously changed her plea after multiple delays in the case that was first filed in 2021 with 13 felony charges. 

In March, she pleaded guilty to four felony charges — theft from an elder or dependent adult, embezzlement, preparing false documentary evidence and money laundering. She also admitted a special allegation or sentencing enhancement since the white-collar crimes loss topped $500,000. 

Before Judge Stephen Foley sentenced Morawski to six years in state prison on Tuesday, he heard a victim impact statement from Betsy Nelson read aloud in court by a representative from the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office.

In the statement, Nelson shared about the loss of trust and emotional costs of Morawski’s crimes as the case reached a conclusion five years after the filing of criminal charges.

Morawski will no longer be able to prey on elderly, sick or vulnerable people she was supposed to represent, Nelson said in her statement.

“I can only imagine that you were capable of doing this evil because you were missing something in yourself in your soul,” Nelson wrote, before quoting the Book of Proverbs and other parts of the Bible. 

“I hope today brings peace and healing to our family. I hope you’re unable to cause any more harm from where you will be. I am praying for you to be a better person so that you stop harming others.”

The alleged crimes occurred while Morawski handled the Delta Campbell Family Trust beginning in 2016 and continued after Delta Campbell died in September 2017 at age 92.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Brian Cota led the prosecution team while Meghan Behrens represented Morawski, who had prior attorneys.

Cota said the plea deal called for Morawski to pay restitution of $225,314 to the Delta Campbell Family Trust. 

Additionally, Morawski must reimburse $300,000 to the California State Bar, as a secondary victim, for restitution previously paid to the Delta Campbell Family Trust.

Cota also urged the judge to fine Morawski twice the amount of restitution, saying the case “screams for the maximum fine” as part of the punishment.

“It was a position of trust by a licensed attorney who took advantage of an elderly woman, basically liquidated her estate so that she could live a better life than what she could afford,” Cota said.

A related civil case alleged that Morawski spent the money in various ways, including on a vacation to Cancun, Mexico, a trip to Yosemite National Park, private school tuition, concert tickets, false eyelashes, a spray tan, a $500 sushi dinner and “a plethora of Amazon purchases.”

They also contend that she used some of their mother’s life savings to pay a fine to the California State Bar for an unrelated disciplinary matter.

Despite the age of the case, Morawski has not made payments to the family trust.

“She’s just been living her best life until finally there was a trial date set and then she knew what she knew from the very beginning — that she would be found guilty and she’d go to prison,” Cota said.

Behrens said the delays in the conclusion of the case could not be placed on her client.

“(We’re) not making any excuses, obviously, for the conduct,” Behrens said, adding that her client wants to focus on getting restitution paid and faces a prison sentence.

“I feel like that is punishment enough. She is no longer a practicing attorney. She can never be a practicing attorney,” Behrens said, adding that Morawski will be starting anew after she completes her prison sentence.

Morawski did not make a statement during Tuesday’s hearing.

Ultimately, Foley imposed a $150,000 fine as part of the punishment, adding that he recognized the amount fell below the prosecution’s request.

“I do want the defendant to pay the victim restitution and a fine of more $1 million to a person who’s lost their ability to practice law would seem to impose an impossible amount and might lead to hopeless and no effort at all to pay anything,” Foley said. 

Foley imposed several other court fines and fees plus ordered DNA samples.   

Morawski was remanded to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.