Lawyer Pleads Guilty to Stealing From Mobster

Fairfield’s H. James Pickerstein, who was once the state’s top federal prosecutor, faces up to 40 months in prison after pleading guilty to stealing more than $600,000 from convicted Danbury mobster James Galante, according to the Connecticut Post.

The Post reports Pickerstein, 69, pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud as part of a plea agreement and also faces a $250,000 fine but his lawyers can argue for a lesser sentence.

Pickerstein allegedly took $613,216 from Galante, a former Danbury trash hauler who was convicted and sentenced to prison on racketeering charges, while he was his defense lawyer and the money was supposed to go back to Galante under a settlement with federal authorities, according to the Post.

The mail fraud charge stems from an incident in 2013 in which Pickerstein sent Galante a letter that falsely claimed the funds were used to pay his legal fees, according to the Post.

Read the full story at the Connecticut Post here.