Solicitor John Gordon Bradfield was renowned as a community leader and tireless charity worker throughout the Hills district.

His law firm had served the area for more than 40 years and he was an active member of the Dural Rotary Club for equally as long.

NSW Police have referred their investigations to the Fraud Squad, which on Friday launched Strike Force Kolang into the allegations.

The Law Society of NSW suspended him in December for a series of breaches of the Legal Profession Act.

These included ``failure to ensure that advances by various persons were adequately secured'' and that he ``misappropriated trust funds''.

Alleged victims include a heartbroken widow missing hundreds of thousands of dollars of her husband's estate.

An elderly couple said they were left destitute after Mr Bradfield persuaded them to invest in a retirement village home, then vanished with their savings.

At least four Sydney law firms are known to be acting on behalf of Mr Bradfield's alleged victims.

The NSW Supreme Court has appointed a receiver to investigate and take control of his practice. For the people of Dural, it is the second high-profile business scandal to rock the community this year.

In January, The Sun-Herald exposed art dealer Ron Coles, who disappeared with more than $30million of clients' art and money. Mr Coles and Mr Bradfield were known acquaintances, but there is no evidence to suggest their activities are linked. Warwick Anderson, of Anderson Boemi Lawyers, who represents one of Mr Bradfield's alleged victims, said: ``John Bradfield was a pillar of this community but he has taken advantage of friends and contacts he has known his entire life.

``They all gave him money to invest. That money is now missing. It appears members of his own family were caught out too.''

Many of Mr Bradfield's clients are understood to have handed him cash for the purpose of buying property.