CONCORD – The federal bench has handed down a six-month sentence to William Summers, 77, of Haines City, Florida, for criminal contempt. United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced the sentence on Wednesday.
Summers, who once practiced law in Cleveland, Ohio, was suspended from legal practice in the state on March 22, 2012. Despite his suspension, he continued to solicit clients, including one in a New Hampshire criminal prosecution. He was hired for a flat fee of $25,000 plus expenses.
Summers promised the defendant he would be an expert litigator, capable of filing motions to suppress evidence and leading the case to trial if necessary. However, he failed to disclose his suspension from legal practice, which prevented him from appearing in court. Instead, he engaged another lawyer to appear on his behalf.
Summers falsely claimed to be ‘of-counsel’ in the same law firm as this lawyer, sending letters to the defendant supporting the claim. Despite his promises, Summers never appeared in court or filed a motion to suppress evidence. He collected fees and advised the defendant to plead guilty, without ever appearing for the case.
At a subsequent hearing, Summers testified and deliberately provided misleading testimony to obstruct justice. He claimed to have explained his absence from court to the defendant but had not done so. As a result of his actions, Summers was sentenced to six months in federal prison and ordered to pay $26,600 in restitution.
“Attorneys are officers of the court and must adhere to the highest standards of integrity,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “Mr. Summers fell short of that mark and will serve a prison sentence as a result.” The investigation into Summers was conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service, with prosecution handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth Aframe and Charles Rombeau.
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Key Facts
- State: New Hampshire
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Public Corruption|White Collar Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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