A high-profile attorney accused of swindling a company out of $10.2 million for a Las Vegas gambling frenzy stole $10,000 from her best friend weeks before a fraud lawsuit was filed against her.
Sarah King, 39, allegedly eloped the money at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas in six months and used the money to fund her own “extravagant lifestyle”.
She also allegedly cut off her own family to hide her alleged antics.
The attorney had gone through with her plans to get more money until the lawsuit was filed by LDR International — though she now claims she only has $11.98 in her name.
Now her best friend Yumiko Sturdivant says she was among King’s victims – and lost $10,000 to the alleged scammer.
Sturvidant and King had enjoyed several lavish trips together, including one to Las Vegas where they drank champagne after doing business together.
Yumiko, a marketing executive, founded FDT with King in 2016 before the alleged scammer resigned from the company to pursue management consulting.
Her best friend Yumiko Sturdivant claims the pair have enjoyed several lavish trips together, including one to Las Vegas where they sip champagne after doing business together
King reportedly stole $10,000 from her best friend Yumiko weeks before they filed a lawsuit against her
She told that she considers King her family and a “big sister” who was originally an “amazing person”.
According to her friend, King wasn’t a big player before, but said she “never played like she does now.” It’s unclear what drove King to Sin City’s casinos with such an all-consuming passion.
The FDT CEO claims King has also separated from her family as her sister also works as a lawyer while she continues to sink into a bigger hole of gambling debts.
Yumiko said: “We had a really good bond, we worked together in another law firm and then started our own firm – which I still own.
“She hasn’t been involved with my company for a long time. She was very smart and charismatic. Sara dressed well and had a heart when I met her.
“Our relationship was one of best friends, I considered her my big sister. I know she had some issues divorcing her first husband and she was struggling.
“It was when she started lending and she was busy that I saw a real change in her.
“Our paths went in different directions but we got back in touch in January, we never had anything back between us until then. She was someone I really loved in my life and looked up to.
The FDT CEO claims King has also separated from her family as her sister also works as a lawyer while she continues to sink into a bigger hole of gambling debts. In the picture Sara King with her father
King spent the stolen money at Dior, Chanel and Rolex – and boasted that she was going to buy a luxury boat
King wasn’t a big player before, according to her friend, but said she “never played like she does now
“I couldn’t believe she turned into such a high roller, she took her gambling to another level.
“We liked going out to restaurants together, she loved shopping and would gamble a bit when we were in Vegas, but she didn’t sit for the hours like she does now.
The CEO reached out to King again on January 5 to see how she was doing, and the pair quickly slipped back into old friendship patterns.
King told her friend that her loan business is very successful, but that she has some marital problems with her second husband, Kamran Pahlavi
But she was quick to tell her friend that there was a “good opportunity” for her to make some money for her business.
Yumiko said, “She said her business is doing well and she can help me make more money and it’s a good way to get back on my feet.
“I went away on my birthday but we kept talking and she texted me when I was out on January 10th.
“She told me that if I invest $10,000, she could double it and give me $20,000 back in three days, and said it rarely happens.
Sara Jacqueline King has reportedly squandered $10.2 million she received from an investor at the Wynn in Las Vegas to fund her own “extravagant lifestyle.”
Yumiko Sturdivant said that she gave King $10,000 after they reconnected and was scammed by her
King told her friend that her loan business is very successful, but that she has some marital problems with her second husband, Kamran Pahlavi
“I said I’m not comfortable with that, I’ve been on vacation and I don’t have that money.
“I work hard for my money and she managed to convince me to give her $5,000 that day and half the next day.
“Sara is very good at what she does, manipulation, and she knows me well, so she can manipulate me because I have a soft spot for her and we were close friends.
“She’s never hurt me financially, so why shouldn’t I trust her? She texted me that she was going to the bank but there were problems and I asked her to do mine because I was stressed.
“There was something inside me that felt like something was going to go wrong, I didn’t want to believe it, but she kept apologizing.”
King went on to apologize for not being able to return the money, telling her friend it was because her husband Kamran was “locking the accounts.”
Yumiko explained that she asked her friend to meet up when she returned to America so she could get the money — with King telling her she was “working with Interpol” to get it
Yumiko said, “Sara is very good at what she does, manipulation and she knows me well so she can manipulate me because I have a soft spot for her.”
King was pictured last week continuing to gamble in Las Vegas despite being served with the lawsuit
She shared pictures of wads of money on her social media and sent them to her potential victims to gain their trust
She said: “It was just b******** after b********. Eventually I had to contact Kamran and ask if he stole $12 million from her as she claimed.
“He didn’t seem surprised and said, ‘Oh, she told you that too.’ He told me that she stole money from several people, was addicted to gambling and forged documents.
“By that point, I knew the money was gone, I knew I wasn’t going to get it back, and she was disfellowshipped by Chase.
“I just thought it’s not possible, that could be the same Sara. It was a nightmare. So I texted her and told her to be honest with me.
“But she kept lying and then started insulting me after she found out I was talking to Kamran. She told me that I would regret that and I realized that the real Sara was coming out.
“It is a very big betrayal for me. Money is one thing, but when it’s your best friend and ex-business partner, a woman I felt was a sister shows she has no soul.
When contacted by , King’s mother Heidi (pictured with her daughter) declined to comment but confirmed the family had been unaware of her crimes
She was sued in 2020 by Manna Kadar (right), CEO of Harper’s Bazaar Summer Issue Cover Girl, who loaned her $70,000 during their friendship
King then offered the security of her wedding ring (right), which she reportedly bought herself, before replacing it with a fake AP watch (left) that would have been worth $97,175.
“She used to always be dressed in designer clothes from head to toe, but now it’s escalated to another level.”
King gave a fake Audemars Paquet watch to another friend she borrowed $70,000 from, beauty guru Manna Kadar, and repeated the process with Yumiko.
Manna added that King referred to her second husband Kamran Pahlavi as a “Persian prince” after discovering he was the grandson of Iranian Princess Ashraf.
Her former friend said she believes King cheated a total of “more than 10 million” and that she gave fake Cartier bracelets and watches to other people as collateral.
Yumiko added, “King knew what she was doing. She looks successful telling you to invest in an opportunity and she’s a lawyer why wouldn’t you? She is the biggest scammer, I have never seen such a fake.
‘Sara left her parents, she had no contact with her family for some time before the trial.
King attended a 2017 Republican fundraiser with then-Vice President Mike Pence and Speaker Kevin McCarthy
Images from show the glamorous lawyer posing with high-profile politicians Pence and McCarthy at a luxury lunch event in Newport Beach, California in 2017
Her ex-husband Kamran Pahlavi branded her “sick” and is the grandson of Iran’s Princess Ashraf, the late twin sister of the country’s last Shah
“It’s very disappointing, she really loved her family. I met them, they were very nice people and to know that she even disappeared from her family is incredible for me.’
When contacted by , King’s mother Heidi declined to comment but confirmed the family had been unaware of her crimes.
It comes after revealed King attended a Republican fundraiser with then-Vice President Mike Pence and Speaker Kevin McCarthy in 2017.
Pictures show the glamorous lawyer posing with high-profile politicians Pence and McCarthy at a luxury lunch event in Newport Beach, California, where she is based.
King can be seen smiling alongside the couple at the Pelican Hill event, with tickets starting at $2,700 each, and was set to raise money for at-risk Republican congressional candidates.
She reportedly told her then-husband that she dreamed of running for Congress and would have overheard Pence’s speech during the glittering private affair.
There is no indication McCarthy and Pence knew King was an alleged fraudster and have reached out to their representatives for comment.
A lawsuit filed in California Central District Court accused her of breach of contract, fraud and civil theft – and includes several pictures of her with NFL stars such as Aaron Rodger, Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes
The Wynn’s facade can be seen on the Las Vegas Strip. Attorneys say the LA attorney was there for several months while carrying out the alleged fraud
King, pictured at a $5,000 Navy Seal gala with Manna, was part of the “close-knit group” of entrepreneurs
King is being sued by LDR International for the full amount – but claims she only has $11.98 in her name after pouring the money into the $300-a-night hotel.
Company lawyer Ronald Richards told that they plan to prosecute the matter against King over the next few days.
The attorney also confirmed he believes the sum King swindled her victims out of is at least $11 million – with five others coming forward.
King also posted several cryptic messages on her Instagram tag after she was served with the lawsuit papers.
She posted a picture on Feb. 5 that read, “Sometimes the person you always thought you were is the hardest thing to walk away from.”
The attorney reposted five days later, with a picture of a handwritten note that read, “Life gives us many opportunities.”
She posted another picture of Suits’ fictional lawyer Harvey Proctor, which read, “Success is like being pregnant everyone says congratulations but no one knows how many times you’ve been fucked.”
King claimed the loans were backed by collateral including luxury cars, yachts, designer handbags, jewelry, watches and income from professional sports contracts
King spent the stolen money at Dior, Chanel and Rolex – and boasted that she was going to buy a luxury boat
King spent the stolen money at Dior, Chanel and Rolex – and boasted that she was going to buy a luxury boat.
A lawsuit filed in California Central District Court charged King with breach of contract, fraud and civil theft and included several pictures of her with NFL stars such as Aaron Rodger, Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes.
Former friends of the lawyer have also come out to say she cheated them out of thousands after convincing them she had high-profile connections.
British Virgin Islands firm LDR alleges that it provided King with a series of loans from January to October 2022 as part of a business investment.
She promised to use the funds for third-party loans and received a total of $10.2 million.
King claimed the loans were backed by collateral including luxury cars, yachts, designer handbags, jewelry, watches and income from professional sports contracts.
The suit features photos of the attorney with several NFL stars, allegedly used to boost her profile.
It is alleged that it “was involved in a massive fraud” and that there were “no third-party loans from King Lending to third-party borrowers”.
In April, King’s first husband filed a lawsuit against her, alleging that she forged his signature and other documents to obtain a $250,000 loan on her Newport Beach home.
Former friends of the lawyer have also come out to say she cheated them out of thousands after convincing them she had high-profile connections
Lawyers for the loan company, which formerly employed the LA lawyer as an agent, say King recently told them she had no money. A photo included in the lawsuit shows King’s allegedly emptied bank accounts
Her second husband Kamran Pahlavi is the grandson of Iranian Princess Ashraf and described King as having a “lavish lifestyle” and the “best dressed woman” he has ever met
A default notice was then posted against the $3 million property “for the fraudulent loan remaining unpaid.”
King is also accused of sending her former partner “racist” text messages about his new partner, which read: “If the whore is in my house Shw [sic] better hide She’s next on my list.”
She is also being sued by George Poulos, who filed a complaint against King and her Orange County firm, alleging that he invested $125,000 and never paid it back and received “strange and ominous news.”
In September, a finance company that leases luxury cars sued King and her law firm after alleging the attorney owed them $300,000 in connection with their lease of a 2019 Rolls-Royce Dawn.
The California Highway Patrol impounded the vehicle in 2021, when King was only 19 months on a 48-month lease.
King also added an odometer manipulation device, which violates state and federal law and reduces the vehicle’s value.
Pahlavi ‘substantiated’ allegations against King and ‘fled to Morocco’
A Wynn spokesman said, “King is no longer allowed on Wynn Las Vegas property.”
The lawsuit alleges that King provided them with “fraudulent, forged and altered King Lending bank statements” and “altered the bank statements to show deposits/payments from third-party borrowers that were never actually made.”
It is also alleged that she sent photos to LDR and her agent Laurent R. to gain their “trust and confidence.”
She sent them a picture of herself with the NFL players at a Capital One golf tournament at Wynn Golf Club in 2022.
She also said she had borrowers who were in the NHL, NBA, and MLB, as well as a friend who was a “hair extension person” for the Kardashians.
The lawsuit alleges King also “falsely alleged” that King Lending received $6.3 million in loan repayments from borrowers and “rebalanced” the fund to cover more loans.
It is alleged that as of February 9, King was still asking for more money so she could “try to get the stolen money back.”