A North Attleboro lawyer is facing four counts of wire fraud after prosecutors say he defrauded two clients of more than $2 million.
Patrick Dolan, 60, is accused of devising a scheme to defraud his clients and other individuals who trusted him to maintain funds in accounts he controlled for them. The scheme ran from roughly November 2018 to November 2024, U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Leah Foley said in a statement.
Specifically, Dolan stole more than $2 million he was holding in escrow pending the outcome of a family trust lawsuit where he represented one of the parties, according to Foley’s office.
Dolan used the stolen money for himself and his family, Foley’s office said. He did so by making transfers to accounts held in the name of family members or to shell companies, using the money to make mortgage, tuition and student loan payments, as well as for personal items and services, according to the statement.
Prosecutors say Dolan also stole at least $87,500 from a supplemental needs trust he established for another client, using that money to make a down payment toward the purchase of a Haverhill property where he lived with his family.
Dolan is also accused of making false statements to his clients and others about the stolen money, falsifying both bank statements and accounting records.
The charge of wire fraud carries a sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
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