Bruce Hawkins, a disbarred attorney who used to practice in Gig Harbor, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to mail fraud.

An eight count indictment returned under seal during April 2009 says that Hawkins promoted a fraudulent debt elimination scheme from 2003 to 2005. It also says he took fees from more than 1,000 debtors after falsely representing that he could eliminate their credit card debt.

According to the indictment, Hawkins received more than $880,000 through the scheme. He faces three-years in prison when sentenced on April 30.

According to records in the case, Hawkins used his status as an attorney to promote his false legal theory that national banks could not lend credit, and therefore consumers did not have to repay their debt. He falsely claimed that consumers did not have to abide by the credit card agreement limiting who could arbitrate disputes with the bank. 

Hawkins was disbarred by the Washington State Bar Association on Feb. 3, 2006.