Patrick J. Dolan, a Boston-area lawyer, is headed to federal prison after admitting he stole more than $2 million from clients who trusted him with their money. The 60-year-old attorney, who has ties to North Attleboro and Haverhill, was sentenced Tuesday to 39 months behind bars, followed by two years of supervised release, and faces a hefty court-ordered money judgment on top of that.
Sentence and restitution
Dolan was ordered to pay $2,022,833 in restitution and hit with a separate $2,087,372.55 money judgment, U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said in a statement, according to reporting by Boston 25 News. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel Gorton imposed the sentence in federal court on Tuesday, the outlet reports.
Prosecutors' account of the scheme
In a July press release, the U.S. Attorney's Office said investigators believe Dolan ran the scheme between November 2018 and November 2024 while holding client funds in accounts he controlled for their benefit. Prosecutors allege he misappropriated escrow funds tied to a family trust case, pushed money through shell companies, and falsified bank statements and accounting records. They say he used at least $87,500 from a supplemental needs trust to help buy a Haverhill property where he later lived with his family, and that client money was also used for mortgage payments, tuition and student-loan bills, and other personal expenses.
Plea and professional consequences
Dolan pleaded guilty in October to four counts of wire fraud, admitting in court filings that the withdrawals from client accounts were not bookkeeping errors, according to reporting and court documentation cited by Boston 25 News. Earlier coverage by The Boston Globe noted that Dolan had been licensed to practice law in Massachusetts since 1993 and was the subject of disciplinary proceedings as the federal case moved forward.
Legal fallout and restitution process
Along with the prison term, the restitution order and money judgment open formal avenues for victims to seek recovery and give prosecutors tools to pursue assets tied to the alleged scheme. While wire-fraud statutes carry high maximum penalties on paper, sentencing is governed by federal guidelines. The U.S. Attorney's Office oversaw the prosecution and identified Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristina E. Barclay as the lead prosecutor. Per the U.S. Attorney's Office, the details in the charging documents are allegations contained in the public record.
What happens now
Victims will be able to work with federal victim-services coordinators and the U.S. Attorney's Office to pursue the restitution ordered by the court, and enforcement efforts may continue as the government seeks to collect on the money judgment. A lawyer for Dolan did not immediately respond to requests for comment, earlier reporting indicates, and court records will set out the timing for any surrender or transfer to federal custody. For additional background on the charges and filings, see reporting by Boston 25 News and The Boston Globe.
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