Former Stamford Attorney Sentenced for Stealing More Than $700,000 From Clients

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

Money deposited for real-estate closings is supposed to sit in an IOLTA until it is properly disbursed. On Nov. 15, 2023, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut announced that former Stamford attorney William McCullough, 63, of Westerly, R.I., was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison for stealing more than $700,000 from clients [1].

Status: U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden imposed the prison term plus three years of supervised release. McCullough had resigned from the Connecticut bar in March 2019 [1].

How the scheme worked, according to court records

According to court documents summarized by prosecutors [1]:

1. In real-estate work, McCullough received client funds that he was required to hold in an IOLTA and use only for each client’s benefit.
2. A March 2018 Statewide Grievance Committee audit found more than $1.27 million due to clients while the IOLTA held less than $600,000. The criminal investigation found he used client IOLTA funds for himself.

The person sentenced

William McCullough, 63, Westerly, Rhode Island. Former Stamford, Conn., attorney; resigned from the Connecticut bar March 2019. Sentenced to 12 months and one day [1].

Case status (as of Nov. 6, 2026)

Defendant	Court	Status	Source
William McCullough, 63	U.S. District Court, D. Conn. (Judge Victor A. Bolden)	Sentenced Nov. 15, 2023 to 12 months + 1 day + 3 years supervised release; >$700K client theft; resigned Conn. bar March 2019	[1]

Statuses can change, including through appeal.

Sources

1. U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Connecticut, “Former Stamford Attorney Sentenced to Prison for Stealing More Than $700K from Clients,” Nov. 15, 2023. https://www.justice.gov/usao-ct/pr/former-stamford-attorney-sentenced-prison-stealing-more-700k-clients