According to a well-connected source, local attorney Phaedra Parks has lawyered up, one day after a VIBE magazine ran an exclusive exposing Phaedra’s alleged criminal history.

According to my source, Phaedra has retained the services of B.J. Bernstein and Lin Wood, two of the top defense attorneys in Atlanta.

Both attorneys are considered among the best in their fields. Most of you are familiar with Bernstein, who filed a sexual misconduct suit against embattled Pastor Bishop Eddie Long in 2010. Wood is currently representing disgraced former presidential candidate Herman Cain, who is now a radio host on WSB in Atlanta.

According to my source, Phaedra, who is a cast member on ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta,’ must think she’s in hot water if she hired both Bernstein and Wood, who don’t come cheap!

She could have just as easily hired B.J. Bernstein by herself, said my source, but Phaedra obviously thinks her situation is dire if she hired two of the top criminal attorneys in the country.

Phaedra’s accuser, Angela Stanton, told VIBE that she, along with Phaedra, her husband Apollo Nida, and another man, were involved in a car theft ring. Stanton claimed Phaedra was the ringleader, who sent Stanton and Apollo into car dealerships to copy down VIN numbers of expensive luxury vehicles.

In a video posted on Vibe.com, Stanton said Phaedra created fake registration cards to match the stolen vehicles. Stanton then presented the VIN numbers and the fake registration cards to other dealerships to have new keys cut.

The vehicles were later stolen by simply driving the vehicles off the car lot using the new keys. Phaedra has not made a statement, but retaining Bernstein and Wood is statement enough.

She must be guilty.

This story is developing…

Stanton also made a video in 2010 describing how she was sexually abused because of Eddie Long. Watch that video below.