Wheeling Attorney Sentenced to 97 Months for Defrauding Clients and Money Laundering

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

Clients trust lawyers to hold settlement and escrow money safely. On March 23, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of West Virginia announced that Wheeling attorney Paul J. Harris, 62, was sentenced to 97 months in federal prison for defrauding clients and money laundering [1].

Status: A federal jury found Harris guilty in November 2025 of 29 counts. Victim losses totaled $701,623.86. He was ordered to self-report to prison on May 6, 2026 [1].

What prosecutors said the jury found

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

1. Harris used client funds for personal expenses, including buying his home and paying off a loan on his law office, without client permission.
2. He moved money from his client trust account to his law-firm operating account and at times used one client’s money to cover amounts he had already taken from others.

The person sentenced

Paul J. Harris, 62, Wheeling, West Virginia. Attorney. Sentenced to 97 months for defrauding clients and money laundering after a 29-count jury conviction [1].

Case status (as of Nov. 6, 2026)

Defendant	Court	Status	Source
Paul J. Harris, 62, Wheeling, W.Va.	U.S. District Court, N.D. W.Va.	Jury convicted Nov. 2025 (29 counts); sentenced March 23, 2026 to 97 months; self-report May 6, 2026; victim loss $701,623.86	[1]

Statuses can change, including through appeal.

Sources

1. U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of West Virginia, “Wheeling Attorney Sentenced for Money Laundering and Fraud,” March 23, 2026. https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/wheeling-attorney-sentenced-money-laundering-and-fraud