US shareholder lawyer Melvyn Weiss to plead guilty

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. class-action lawyer Melvyn Weiss, famed for suing large corporations on behalf of investors, will plead guilty in a criminal case contending his firm paid secret kickbacks to plaintiffs in lawsuits, his lawyer said on Thursday.

A source familiar with the matter told Reuters that Weiss, who had been set to go on trial in August, would plead guilty to a sole count of racketeering.

Under a plea agreement with federal prosecutors in Los Angeles, Weiss could receive a prison sentence ranging from 18 to 33 months, his lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, said in a statement. Weiss has agreed to pay $10 million in fines and forfeiture, Brafman said.

(Reporting by Martha Graybow; editing by John Wallace)