Disbarred New Jersey Attorney Pleads Guilty in Ponzi-Like Wire Fraud Scheme

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

Investment pitches that lean on a lawyer’s credibility can still be ordinary fraud. On Oct. 9, 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey announced that disbarred Somerset County attorney Lawrence Coven, 61, of Hillsborough, N.J., pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in a scheme that caused more than $1 million in losses [1].

Status: Coven pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch in Trenton. He had already been disbarred. Sentencing was to follow [1].

How the scheme worked, according to court filings

According to documents and court statements summarized by prosecutors [1]:

1. Coven operated Sunrise Enterprises LLC, which purported to provide financial services to investors.
2. He induced victims to send funds by falsely claiming he would invest their money, then used new investor money in a Ponzi-like fashion and for his own purposes, causing more than $1 million in losses.

The person who pleaded guilty

Lawrence Coven, 61, Hillsborough, New Jersey. Disbarred attorney. Pleaded guilty to wire fraud [1].

Case status (as of Nov. 6, 2026)

Defendant	Court	Status	Source
Lawrence Coven, 61, Hillsborough, N.J.	U.S. District Court, D.N.J. (Judge Robert Kirsch)	Disbarred; pleaded guilty Oct. 9, 2024 to wire fraud; losses >$1 million	[1]

Statuses can change, including through sentencing and appeal.

Sources

1. U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of New Jersey, “Disbarred Attorney Admits Defrauding Victims in Ponzi-Like Wire Fraud Scheme,” Oct. 9, 2024. https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/pr/disbarred-attorney-admits-defrauding-victims-ponzi-wire-fraud-scheme