Middleton lawyer indicted for wire fraud, ID theft

Listen to this article

A federal grand jury has indicted a Middleton lawyer on three charges, including wire fraud and identity theft.

According to the indictment released Wednesday, Patrick Sweeney defrauded three limited-liability companies over six years. He held an interest in the companies and proposed to his partners that they lend around $10,000 to a friend but instead withdrew more than $400,000 from the company’s account and used it to pay his personal expenses.

The indictment also alleges Sweeney made a false statement in a bankruptcy matter, listing embezzled money as a loan. Sweeney had also been charged with stealing someone’s identity in 2011.

He faces a maximum of 28 years in prison for all three charges and professional discipline.

The Office of Lawyer Regulation filed a complaint in July 2015 alleging Sweeney committed five counts of misconduct, including that he took more than $1 million from the corporations for his personal use but told partners he was loaning money to a client. The OLR is asking the Wisconsin Supreme Court to revoke his license.

Sweeney has denied the allegations and contends that he had a number of affirmative defenses, including that he was suffering from “multiple medical disabilities” that affected his memory, decision-making and judgment. He also contended that it took too long — seven years — for the OLR to file a complaint and that the complaint was tainted by the fact that person who had filed a grievance against him had previously been retained by the OLR.

Sweeney, who was admitted to practice in 1992, is representing himself in the case. Follow @erikastrebel