Dracut Attorney John F. Paczkowski Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud

Dracut attorney John F. Paczkowski, 73, stood before a federal judge in Boston yesterday and admitted to a calculated betrayal of trust—filing false personal tax returns for 2009 and 2010, concealing more than $630,000 in embezzled client funds and dodging $192,000 in federal taxes.

Paczkowski, who operated a solo legal practice in Dracut, exploited his position by violating Massachusetts Bar rules requiring client funds to be held in a separate trust account. Instead, he treated the account as his personal piggy bank, siphoning money meant for clients and funneling it into his own pockets.

His breach of ethics went far beyond simple bookkeeping errors. The theft was deliberate, sustained, and masked through falsified tax filings—a move prosecutors say was designed to hide the trail of stolen money from federal authorities.

Charged with two counts of filing false tax returns, Paczkowski now faces up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. While federal sentences often fall below the maximum, the judge will weigh the severity of his breach as a licensed attorney entrusted with client assets.

U.S. District Judge George A. O’Toole scheduled sentencing for February 16, 2017. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Victor A. Wild of the Economic Crimes Unit in the office of U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz, who emphasized that no professional title shields violators from federal accountability.

The Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division, led by Special Agent in Charge Joel P. Garland in Boston, uncovered the fraud during a broader probe into financial misconduct by licensed professionals. The case serves as a stark reminder: even those sworn to uphold the law aren’t above breaking it.