LOUISVILLE, KY – A suspended Kentucky attorney and his wife were sentenced in federal court today for wire fraud and willful failure to pay tax. The former attorney was sentenced to 2 years and 9 months imprisonment and his wife was sentenced to 2 years and 3 months imprisonment.
United States Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Robert Holman of the United States Secret Service Louisville Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Bryant Jackson of the Cincinnati Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, made the announcement.
According to court documents, Andrew Nicholas Clooney, 55, was sentenced to 2 years and 9 months in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release. Christel Marie Clooney, 51, was sentenced to 2 years and 3 months in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
Andrew Clooney and Christel Clooney were also ordered to pay $663,965.16 in restitution to former clients.
Andrew Clooney practiced as a personal injury attorney through the Clooney Law Office. Christel Clooney served as the office manager for the Clooney Law Office. From August 2016 through October 2018, the Clooneys used funds that belonged to clients of the Clooney Law Office on personal expenses. Further, the Clooneys made approximately $426,098 in income in 2016, on which they owed approximately $107,140 in federal income taxes. The Clooneys neither filed a tax return for tax year 2016 nor paid any of their outstanding tax liability for that year.
The United States Secret Service and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda E. Gregory prosecuted the case.
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