WILKES-BARRE — An ex-lawyer from Lackawanna County accused of creating and presenting false papers for clients in civil settlement cases was given a one-month jail term and five years of probation on Friday.
James Joseph Conaboy, 52, from Clarks Summit, received a sentence from Luzerne County Judge David W. Lupas of one to twelve months at the county correctional facility due to two incidents of tampering with records and five years of probation for two counts of forgery.
Conaboy admitted guilt before his sentencing.
The state Office of Attorney General charged Conaboy in February with failing to submit documents in civil cases and tampering with court papers in multiple civil cases.
As per court documents, when Conaboy was a licensed lawyer, he represented Paul Grace, an employee at the Wilkes-Barre office of the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry serving as a disability adjudicator.
Grace sued the labor and industry department through Conaboy in Luzerne County Court in 2013, claiming a hostile work environment and unfair disciplinary actions.
Conaboy informed Grace that the lawsuit had been settled for $517,000, but Grace did not receive the money, according to court records.
Court records state that when Grace asked about the settlement and money, Conaboy sent him fabricated documents from the state’s Office of Inspector General.
In November 2018, Grace's lawsuit was dismissed by a Luzerne County judge without a settlement, of which Grace was unaware, as per court records.
Conaboy will be granted immediate parole once he completes the minimum 30-day sentence and has been instructed to start serving his jail term on Tuesday.
Rebecca Anne Elo, Pennsylvania Deputy Attorney General, handled the prosecution.
Conaboy was represented by lawyer William J. Watt III.
Conaboy was disbarred by the Disciplinary Board of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in April 2023.
