A 74-year-old former lawyer from Columbus, Ohio, has been sentenced to two years probation and a $15,000 fine for making false statements to the FBI, according to Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti.
Dennis W. McNamara was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Sarah D. Morrison in the Southern District of Ohio for putting a cooperating witness’s safety at risk.
Court documents show that while practicing law in Columbus, McNamara represented a client who was providing important information to authorities about a drug and sex trafficking enterprise operating there. McNamara was also involved in a sexual connection with a female sex worker.
He violated professional ethics by disclosing details of his client’s cooperation to the woman, putting the witness in grave danger. When confronted by FBI investigators, McNamara falsely denied disclosing confidential information.
During the punishment, Judge Morrison emphasized the gravity of McNamara’s acts, underlining the possible danger his disclosures caused to the cooperating witness.
Assistant United States Attorney Mark V. Gurzo from the Western District of Pennsylvania prosecuted the case after the Southern District of Ohio’s U.S. Attorney’s Office recused itself.