HARRISBURG – Attorney General Michelle Henry announced that a former Lackawanna County attorney has been sentenced to prison for lying to clients who filed civil cases and for forging corresponding documents including a judge’s signature.
James Conaboy, of Clarks Summit, previously pleaded guilty to misdemeanor forgery and tampering with records. A Luzerne County Judge sentenced Conaboy on Friday to 30 days to a year in prison, followed by four years of probation.
The Office of Attorney General investigation revealed that Conaboy, 52, lied to numerous clients about their cases, including making promises of settlements that never actually were reached.
As a sworn officer of the court, this defendant was trusted to represent the best interests of clients instead, he did the exact opposite, Attorney General Henry said. The defendant intentionally ignored all ethical obligations by cruelly misleading clients to believe they would receive large settlement sums.
Two cases involved Conaboy making representations about alleged six-figure settlement payouts. In 2021, Conaboy told clients they had won a $700,000 settlement in a medical malpractice case in reality, the case was terminated by the court because Conaboy did not serve the lawsuit. Conaboy forged a judge’s signature on documents that showed the clients were successful.
In another case, an employment suit, Conaboy told a client a $517,000 settlement had been negotiated. In reality, the suit was dismissed.
In a third case, another medical malpractice suit, Conaboy withdrew the suit, but told his client a $50,000 settlement was negotiated.
In April 2023, Conaboy consented to his disbarment after action was initiated by the Pa. Disciplinary Board.
The case was prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Rebecca Elo.
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