Attorney Justin C. Freeman Sentenced for Tax Fraud

Manchester attorney Justin C. Freeman, 47, is headed to federal prison after being sentenced to eight months for filing false tax returns that concealed more than $1.2 million in income from his Hartford-based law practice. U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley handed down the sentence in Bridgeport, ordering eight months of imprisonment followed by one year of supervised release. Freeman was also fined $4,000.

According to court records, Freeman submitted fraudulent individual federal income tax returns for the 2010, 2011, and 2012 tax years—documents signed by him and filed by his tax preparer. In 2010, he reported $476,228 in income but actually earned $860,041.93. The following year, he claimed $410,002 while pulling in $1,093,147.43. In 2012, his reported $529,673 fell short of his true earnings of $696,559.43. The total tax loss to the IRS: $419,259.

Freeman, owner of The Law Offices of Justin C. Freeman, pleaded guilty on November 28, 2018, to one count of filing a false tax return. The charges stem from a years-long scheme to shield income generated through his legal practice, misleading federal authorities while maintaining a high-earning professional profile in the Hartford area.

Since becoming aware of the criminal investigation, Freeman has paid the full $419,259 owed for the charged tax years. But his financial reckoning didn’t stop there. He has since remitted an additional $3,329,527 covering back taxes, interest, and penalties for 2013 through 2016, along with estimated payments for 2017 through 2019. Despite these payments, he still owes approximately $1.3 million.

Currently free on a $100,000 bond, Freeman must report to federal prison on July 1, 2019. His failure to voluntarily comply with tax law as a licensed attorney adds a layer of professional betrayal to the conviction—a breach of public trust that federal prosecutors emphasized during sentencing.

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan L. Wines. U.S. Attorney John H. Durham emphasized that no professional status shields individuals from accountability: ‘Whether you’re a lawyer, executive, or contractor, federal tax law applies equally—and so does the penalty when it’s broken.’