HARRISBURG, PA — A significant breach of legal trust has led to prison time for James Conaboy, a former attorney from Lackawanna County. Conaboy was sentenced this past Friday by a Luzerne County Judge to serve between 30 days to one year in prison, followed by four years of probation. This sentence comes after Conaboy’s guilty plea to charges of misdemeanor forgery and tampering with records, actions that undermined the very foundation of legal integrity.
Attorney General Michelle Henry highlighted the gravity of Conaboy’s actions, emphasizing the betrayal of trust that occurred. Conaboy, 52, engaged in a pattern of deceiving his clients, falsely claiming they were set to receive substantial settlement payouts in several cases.
Investigations by the Office of Attorney General unveiled the extent of Conaboy’s deceit. In a notable instance, he convinced his clients they had secured a $700,000 settlement in a medical malpractice case, a claim bolstered by documents falsified with a forged judge’s signature. Yet, the court had already terminated the case due to Conaboy’s failure to serve the lawsuit properly.
Conaboy’s fraudulent activities extended to other cases as well. He misrepresented the outcome of an employment suit, asserting a $517,000 settlement that never existed; the suit had been dismissed. Another case saw him withdraw a medical malpractice suit only to claim to his client that a $50,000 settlement had been negotiated.
In April 2023, facing disciplinary action, Conaboy consented to his disbarment, effectively ending his legal career.
The case, prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Rebecca Elo, underscores the critical importance of ethical conduct within the legal profession. Conaboy’s actions not only violated the trust of his clients but also tarnished the reputation of the judicial system he was sworn to serve. His sentencing serves as a stark warning to those in positions of trust about the severe consequences of betraying such responsibilities.
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