-- From Times staff reporter Mike Carter:

A disbarred Gig Harbor attorney has been sentenced to prison for three years for mail fraud stemming from a fraudulent debt-elimination promotion.

Bruce Hawkins, 50, took money from more than 1,000 debtors, telling them he could eliminate their credit-card debt between 2002 and 2005, according to the U.S Attorney's Office. He told his clients that tax laws prevented national banks from extending credit and that they didn't have to repay their debts, and then sent them to "arbitors" who he paid to issue a meaningless award on the debtor's behalf. Many of the debtors wound up in bankruptcy after learning the scheme was useless, the U.S Attorney's Office said.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tessa Gorman, in asking for a prison term, said many of the people who went to Hawkins were in serious financial trouble and were seeking help, according to a news release. Instead, Hawkins' plans only exacerbated their problems. One man who used his services, the news release said, lost his home, two cars and had to send his daughter away for three years until he could get back on his feet financially.

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service's criminal division, which said Hawkins operated his scheme from 2002 to 2005. He was disbarred by the state Supreme Court in 2006 and indicted last year.

Hawkins was sentenced Friday in U.S. District Court in Tacoma.