Former Stamford Attorney Sentenced For Stealing Over $700K From Clients: Feds

STAMFORD, CT — A former Stamford attorney was sentenced Wednesday to a year and a day in prison for stealing approximately $720,851 from clients of his law practice, according to a news release from United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut Vanessa Roberts Avery.

William McCullough, 63, of Westerly, R.I., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven and must report to prison on Jan. 8, 2024; he is currently released on bond.

Following his sentence, McCullough will have three years of supervised release and must also pay restitution.

According to court documents and statements made in court today, prior to his resignation from the Connecticut bar in March 2019, McCullough operated a law practice in Stamford for several years.

As part of his practice, McCullough worked on real estate transactions for clients. In that capacity, McCullough received funds from clients and knew he was required to deposit those funds in an Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Account (IOLTA Account) and use them in accordance with his duties to each client, Avery said in a news release.

In March 2018, the Connecticut Statewide Grievance Committee audited McCullough’s IOLTA Account and found that he had failed to maintain the required documents for several years, Avery said.

The audit found that more than $1.27 million was due to clients, but the IOLTA Account held less than $600,000, Avery noted.

A subsequent criminal investigation showed that McCullough defrauded clients by using funds in his IOLTA Account to cover funds owed to others, and for his own use, according to Avery.

McCullough made false representations to clients, including providing a false and inaccurate closing statement to at least one person to prevent the scheme from being uncovered, Avery said.

In November 2022, McCullough pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the Wallingford Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ross Weingarten.