Former Louisville Attorney Sentenced to 41 Months for Defrauding Estates and Beneficiaries

Published Nov. 6, 2026. Case status is current as of that date.

Estate beneficiaries depend on the lawyer handling probate paperwork to send them what the estate owes. On Feb. 13, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky announced that former Louisville attorney James Carol Worthington, 59, was sentenced to 3 years and 5 months (41 months) in federal prison for wire fraud after defrauding several estates and their beneficiaries [1].

Status: Worthington was sentenced to 41 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release on one count of wire fraud [1].

What the government announced

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office [1]:

1. Worthington used his role as a lawyer handling estate matters to defraud estates and beneficiaries.
2. A federal court in the Western District of Kentucky imposed a 41-month prison term plus supervised release.

The person sentenced

James Carol Worthington, 59, Louisville area. Former attorney. Sentenced to 41 months for wire fraud [1].

Case status (as of Nov. 6, 2026)

Defendant	Court	Status	Source
James Carol Worthington, 59	U.S. District Court, W.D. Ky.	Sentenced Feb. 12–13, 2025 to 41 months + 3 years supervised release for wire fraud	[1]

Statuses can change, including through appeal.

Sources

1. U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Kentucky, “Former Louisville Attorney Sentenced to Over Three Years In Federal Prison for Defrauding Estates and Beneficiaries,” Feb. 13, 2025. https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdky/pr/former-louisville-attorney-sentenced-over-three-years-federal-prison-defrauding