A now-disbarred Santa Maria Valley attorney has pleaded guilty in Santa Barbara County Superior Court to four felony counts for financial crimes that include theft from an elderly person, embezzlement, preparing false evidence and money laundering.
Debbie Lee Morawski, 52, of Orcutt changed her plea in March after multiple delays in the case that was first filed in 2021 with 13 felony charges.
The plea deal also came after Santa Barbara Judge Stephen Foley rejected a defense motion from Morawski’s most recent attorney, Meghan Behrens, who had asked for the case to be referred to mental health treatment court.
However, the judge ruled “the defendant failed to establish that her ‘mental disorder was a significant factor in the commission of the charged offense.’”
The criminal complaint included three counts of embezzlement, one count of theft from an elder or dependent adult, one count of preparing false documentary evidence and eight counts of money laundering.
Morawski also faced several special allegations, or sentencing enhancements, including for aggravated white-collar crime with a loss greater than $500,000.
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.
The 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.
Morawski has been ordered to return on July 7 to a Santa Barbara courtroom for her sentencing hearing.
The criminal case lasted longer than a new restaurant initially suspected of benefiting from the financial crimes.
Weeks before the criminal case’s filing, Morawski’s partner opened The Salty Brigade Kitchen on Skyway Drive in Santa Maria.
Prosecutors suspected that Morawski had funneled funds from her crimes to support the restaurant, but Michael McDonald proved the money came from his family.
However, after the restaurant’s closure, McDonald and Morawski were named in a December 2024 civil lawsuit filed by the restaurant’s landlord, Santa Barbara Land Co. LLC, represented by Blanca Mejia of Twitchell and Rice.
In addition to owing back rent, the lawsuit contended the defendants had taken furniture, fixtures and equipment belonging to the landlord, including a refrigerator, a beer cooler, a beer dispensing tower, a griddle, an oven and more.
Also taken were menu boards, bar stools, televisions, metal chairs, a urinal, a toilet and a sink, the civil lawsuit alleged.
In total, the missing equipment added up to more than $59,000.
At the time of the lawsuit’s filing, the pair also owed $28,000 in past due rent and $4,000 for cleaning charges.
The civil complaint alleged breach of contract, breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing and conversion.
Morawski didn’t sign the lease, but the landlord’s lawsuit contends she was involved in the day-to-day operations and financial matters for the business, including communicating with the property manager.
The pair avoided multiple attempts to serve them notice of the lawsuit, including at their home, leading to publication of the summons as a legal notice in a local paper.
They also never responded to the civil lawsuit.
In July 2025, Judge Patricia Kelly signed a default judgement to $120,957 against Morawski and McDonald. That included damages, interest, attorney’s fees and court costs.
Meanwhile, Morawski was formally disbarred after facing six ethical violations in her second disciplinary case — “all but one of them arising from her failure to obey court orders,” according to the Supreme Court decision filed in July 2023.
Morawski, who had served as an attorney since 2007, did not participate in the proceedings that led to losing her law license.