A local attorney who was disbarred three years ago now faces federal charges of stealing from real estate clients.

Forty-five year-old Neal Landers of Duluth is charged with wire and bank fraud, money laundering and making false statements. Federal prosecutors say he ran a Ponzi scheme out of his law firm, using proceeds from real estate transactions to pay personal expenses.  He allegedly held onto escrow account funds for weeks or months after closings, and made false statements on a loan application.

If he's convicted, he could get a maximum 30 years in prison and a million dollar fine.