Former Kansas City attorney Jim Wirken pleaded guilty Monday to one count of money laundering.

Wirken, who once was president of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, surrendered his law license and admitted to malpractice in 2012. He was a lawyer and principal at The Wirken Law Group.

After waiving his right to a grand jury, Wirken admitted to withdrawing $51,000 from his firm's trust account, which was set up for a client. He deposited that money into the firm's operating account and directed an employee to use it to buy a $50,000 cashier's check to repay a loan to another client.

A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled, but Wirken could face 10 years in prison without parole. He could also be fined as much as $250,000 and ordered to pay restitution.

In January, a Jackson County jury found that Wirken had breached a contract with a client by failing to repay a $100,000 loan she had made to him. The jury awarded the plaintiff nearly $230,000.

A formerly prominent lawyer, Wirken was an eight-time honoree in the Best of Bar, an annual publication by the Kansas City Business Journal in which peers select the honorees.