Scott D. Tenley

A former federal prosecutor in Los Angeles and Orange County, Scott Tenley has established himself as a prominent figure in white-collar criminal defense, leveraging 18 years of experience to secure significant victories in high-stakes federal and state cases.

One of his notable achievements came in the defense of Victor Belonogoff, former CEO of a Los Angeles digital media company. USA v. Victor Belonogoff, 2:22-cr-00162 (C.D. Cal. Apr. 22, 2022).

Tenley successfully defended his client against wire fraud charges involving alleged embezzlement exceeding $3 million.

"It was encouraging to see my former office and colleagues doing what we all hope prosecutors will do -- looking at the evidence fairly and objectively and making the right decision, even if that includes walking away from a case and investigation that has been pending for years," Tenley said.

Through 18 months of persistent advocacy and compelling evidence presentation, Tenley secured a dismissal with prejudice from federal prosecutors.

His acumen was further demonstrated in his representation of Timothy Li, a FinTech entrepreneur facing potential embezzlement charges related to his company FluidFi's $7 million acquisition.

Tenley's comprehensive two-month investigation convinced the Orange County district attorney's office to decline prosecution, safeguarding both Li's reputation and business interests.

Tenley's journey into criminal defense began during a summer associate position at Jones Day in Washington, DC.

"I took every opportunity to work with or learn from former AUSAs to develop the skills to be successful in that position," he explained.

This early exposure to former assistant US attorneys proved instrumental in shaping his approach.

"From them, I learned the importance of creative advocacy and the need for a focused and understandable narrative to present to the jury," he said.

In a recent case, his negotiation skills secured an exceptionally favorable sentencing agreement in an insider trading case.

Marco Antonio Perez, 60, of Glendora, received a nine-month federal prison sentence for insider trading violations.

Perez purchased 66,000 shares of company stock after obtaining non-public information about an upcoming acquisition that would increase the share price.

Once the acquisition was publicly announced, he sold the shares, generating illicit profits of nearly $500,000. Following his prison term, Perez must complete six months of home detention. United States v. Perez, 2:23-cr-00476-FLA (C.D. Cal. May 17, 2024).