A Colorado attorney accused of embezzling up to $1 million from his clients will be extradited from San Diego to Colorado after he waived an extradition hearing on Friday.
Royal "Scoop" Daniel, 66, was arrested in San Diego, while entering the U.S. from Mexico, almost five years after he disappeared. Daniel was last seen in Colorado in April 2007. His family and friends thought he was dead.
In an exclusive interview from jail on Thursday, Daniel told NBC San Diego why he fled to Mexico. He says his law practice fell on hard times.
“I figured I … accumulated about $200,000 of hole that I was trying to fill. To try to make everything good,” said Daniel.
He became overwhelmed with his responsibilities.
"I got to the point where I just couldn't go farther. So I made a rather sudden decision to leave. Once I made it, I didn't look back," Daniel said.
He says he found a job writing content for a website making $700 a month.
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After Daniel mysteriously disappeared, authorities say an investigation revealed that he failed to return $1 million of his clients' money from real estate transactions.
He says he’s sorry for what he did and knows he has to face the consequences.
"If I hurt some people or made some people unhappy at all I'm really sorry about that. I never wanted to. I don't think I can really say much more," said Daniel.
He will be back in Colorado in 20 days to face felony theft charges.
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