A lawyer who raided an Oxford woman’s estate was sentenced to 45 months in federal prison Wednesday.
The lawyer, Peter M. Clark, stole $1.8 million from Miriam Strong’s estate. The money was supposed to be used for a new library, scholarships and a host of other civic-minded, religious and charitable projects in Oxford and beyond.
Clark was supposed to make sure the money went to the right places. Instead, it went into his pockets.
Since Clark’s arrest, the estate’s beneficiaries have been covered by the Client Security Fund Committee, an entity of the judicial branch.
Clark’s lawyer, William Stevens, didn’t sugar coat his client’s behavior.
“Peter Clark stands before the Court as a humble, remorseful, embarrassed and disgraced lawyer …,” the opening line of Stevens’ sentencing memo to a judge read.
Clark began stealing money from the Strong estate because he had lost business due to the economic downturn.
He had hoped to land legal work to pay back what he stole before getting caught, but that big payday never materialized.
Federal prosecutors noted Clark’s crime was not a one-time mistake. They described it as a “scheme” that went on for years, perpetrated by a man who knew better.
“Mr. Clark’s embezzlement has caused significant turmoil, injury, and angst to his victims,” federal prosecutors said in their sentencing memo.
Miriam Strong was a lifelong resident of Oxford. She died in 2010.
Strong had worked as a chemist at Anaconda American Brass in Ansonia for 35 years, and was a member of the Ansonia Congregational Church — where she also served as church historian, cabinet secretary and Sunday school teacher, according to court documents.
She was a member of the Oxford Republican Town Committee for almost 50 years, and was involved in a host of civic organizations.
Prosecutors said Clark used Strong’s money to “finance a comfortable life, one in which Mr. Clark enjoyed travel, outdoor activities, and recreational pursuits.”
“In other words, the money taken was not out of desperation to put food on his family’s table or pay for unexpected medical bills,” prosecutors said in court documents.
The government contrasted Clark’s spending with Strong, “a woman who, by all counts, lived frugally and modestly so that she could leave behind significant bequests to her dear friends and the charities that she most cherished.”
Clark was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton. He was ordered to report to prison on Feb. 24.
