Patrick J. Dolan, a Boston lawyer, was sentenced on Mar. 9 in federal court for defrauding two of his clients out of more than $2 million.
Dolan, age 60 and a resident of North Attleboro and Haverhill, received a sentence of 39 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton also ordered Dolan to pay $2,022,833 in restitution and issued a money judgment totaling $2,087,372.55. Dolan pleaded guilty to four counts of wire fraud in October 2025 after being charged in July 2025.
According to the announcement by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Boston Division, Dolan’s fraudulent activities took place between November 2018 and November 2024. During this period, he stole funds entrusted to him by clients for safekeeping in accounts he controlled. The stolen money included over $2 million held in escrow related to a family trust lawsuit where Dolan represented one party.
The investigation found that Dolan used the misappropriated funds for personal expenses such as mortgage payments, tuition fees, student loans, and transfers to shell companies benefiting himself and his family members. He also took at least $87,500 from a supplemental needs trust set up for another client and used it as a down payment on property in Haverhill where he later lived with his family.
Authorities said Dolan made false statements about the missing funds to clients and others involved while falsifying bank statements and accounting records to conceal his actions. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristina E. Barclay prosecuted the case.