Fayette County Attorney Sentenced To Probation With Home Detention For Defrauding Clients

HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on November 16, 2022, John William “JW” Eddy, age 40, of Fayette County, Pennsylvania was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Sylvia H. Rambo to five years of probation, including 21 months of home detention with electronic monitoring, for misappropriating funds from clients of his law practice between 2016 and 2020.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Eddy ran a private law practice, Eddy Law Office. As an attorney representing members of the public in the practice of law, Eddy was required to maintain a trust account for client funds, also known as an Interest on Lawyer Trust Account or “IOLTA.” This account was to be used for the securing of client funds, such as proceeds from legal settlements, fees advanced for services not yet performed, or money for court fees.  Eddy admitted that between 2016 and 2020 he misappropriated $242,975.89 of client funds entrusted to him.

Eddy pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud on February 9, 2022.  Prior to his guilty plea, Eddy made full restitution to his victims in the amount of $242,975.89, equal to the amount of client funds that he misappropriated.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma is prosecuting the case.

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