BOSTON ATTORNEY SENTENCED ON $17 MILLION FRAUD SCHEME
AND MONEY LAUNDERING CHARGES

WASHINGTON, D.C.- Chief Justice William G. Young of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts today sentenced Morris M. Goldings, a Boston attorney, to 3 years in prison, ordered restitution of $12,215,890.37, and 3 years supervised release. The sentencing today follows Goldings' February 21, 2002 guilty plea to all 25 counts of an Information charging him in a scheme to defraud clients and others of approximately $17 million. Goldings pleaded guilty to seven counts of mail fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. Section 1341; five counts of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. Section 1343; and thirteen counts of money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. Section 1956(a)(1)(B).

Goldings, a principal and founder of the Boston law firm of Mahoney, Hawkes and Goldings, which is now in bankruptcy, defrauded clients, professional and business acquaintances, as well as others by diverting for his personal use and benefit tens of millions of dollars he had solicited from them purportedly for purposes of legal representation, investments, debt settlements and other financial transactions. Goldings further concealed funds from potential criminal forfeiture proceedings and the Internal Revenue Service by converting those funds to his personal benefit. Goldings used his personal and professional bank accounts to promote and assist his fraudulent scheme.

The case was handled by Senior Litigation Counsel Robertson T. Park of the Fraud Section, Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice.

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02-408