Evil wills lawyer sentenced to over two years in prison

John D. Duncan, who formerly worked for almost 30 years for the Verrill Dana law firm in Portland, Maine, was recently disbarred for life by the Supreme Court of Maine.  I reported on the details earlier on this blog.

Things have now gone from bad to worse.  U.S. District Court Judge George Singal has recently sentenced Mr. Duncan to 28 months in prison for tax evasion.  Mr. Duncan responded by stating that his remorse was overwhelming and by apologizing.  He indicated that he was prepared to accept his sentence, serve his time, and then move on.

Mr. Duncan’s conduct is somewhat puzzling in that he did not use the money he stole from his clients and law firm to take lavish trips, buy drugs, gamble, or pay blackmailers.  Instead, Mr. Duncan wanted to provide his family with greater financial security with the money.

In addition to this federal tax evasion case, Mr. Duncan also faces state theft charges and is scheduled to be sentenced on September 18, 2008.