HARRISBURG, Pa. – A former attorney from Lackawanna County has been sentenced to prison for lying to clients and forging documents. James Conaboy, aged 52, of Clarks Summit, was sentenced to 30 days to a year in prison by a Luzerne County Judge, followed by four years of probation. The sentencing followed a guilty plea from Conaboy on charges of forgery and tampering with records.
The investigation by the Office of Attorney General revealed that Conaboy had misled clients about their cases, making false promises of settlements that were never realized. Conaboy was accused of lying to clients about the outcomes of their cases, going as far as forging a judge’s signature on documents to support his false claims. The Attorney General, Michelle Henry, condemned Conaboy’s actions, stating that he had intentionally misled clients to believe they were entitled to substantial settlement amounts.
Conaboy’s misconduct involved several cases where he falsely claimed significant settlement amounts had been reached. In one instance, he informed clients they had been awarded a $700,000 settlement in a medical malpractice case that had actually been terminated due to his negligence. Another case involved a misrepresented settlement of $517,000 in an employment suit that was later dismissed. Furthermore, Conaboy falsely stated to a client of a $50,000 settlement in a medical malpractice suit that he had withdrawn.
In April 2023, as a result of actions initiated by the Pa. Disciplinary Board, Conaboy agreed to be disbarred. The case against Conaboy was prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Rebecca Elo.