Boston Lawyer Charged With Allegedly Stealing Over $2 Million From Client Escrow Funds

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

Escrow accounts in trust litigation are supposed to sit untouched until a court or settlement says otherwise. On July 24, 2025, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts announced that Boston lawyer Patrick J. Dolan, 60, of North Attleboro and Haverhill, had been charged with four counts of wire fraud for allegedly defrauding clients of over $2 million [1].

Important: The charging documents contain allegations. The U.S. Attorney's Office states that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty [1].

What the charges allege

According to the charging documents as summarized by prosecutors [1]:

1. Between November 2018 and November 2024, Dolan allegedly stole over $2 million he was holding in escrow pending a family trust lawsuit.
2. He allegedly used funds for himself and family members via transfers to family or shell accounts, mortgages, tuition, and personal spending.
3. He allegedly stole at least $87,500 from a supplemental needs trust for another client and used it toward a Haverhill property down payment, and falsified bank statements and accounting records.

The person charged

Patrick J. Dolan, 60. Boston lawyer. Charged with four counts of wire fraud; presumed innocent [1].

Case status (as of Nov. 6, 2026)

Defendant	Court	Status	Source
Patrick J. Dolan, 60	U.S. District Court, D. Mass.	Charged with 4 counts of wire fraud (announced July 24, 2025); presumed innocent	[1]

Charges are not a conviction. Statuses can change.

Sources

1. U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Massachusetts, "Boston Lawyer Charged With Stealing Over $2 Million From Clients," July 24, 2025. https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/boston-lawyer-charged-stealing-over-2-million-clients