A Saco lawyer, who was sentenced to two years in federal prison for money laundering but won back the right to practice law last July after his release, is again under scrutiny from the state board of bar overseers for alleged misconduct that could threaten his right to practice law.

Gary M. Prolman is accused of unspecified misconduct by a former female client, whose complaints against Prolman are filed under seal. A two-day hearing set for Aug. 30-31 before Donald G. Alexander, an associate justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, will determine whether he will face further professional penalties, which could include a suspension of his license or disbarment.

Prolman, reached by phone, denied the allegations and said he was never afforded a chance by the bar to give his side of events before actions were filed against him.

“It’s a complete con job,” Prolman said. “I wish (the bar attorneys) would have done their homework before they filed this, because we look forward to seeing them in court.”

Gary M. Prolman Staff file photo by Shawn Patrick Ouellette

According to a petition filed in May by bar attorneys seeking the immediate suspension of Prolman’s law licence, the client – who is referred to in court papers as “EB” – hired Prolman in December 2016 to assist her with a probation issue and to help in her testimony in an out-of-state prosecution.

In March 2017, EB was assaulted by her domestic partner, moved out of that man’s home, and immediately sought help from her professional supports, including Prolman.

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EB had no financial means or place to go, and Prolman suggested she stay at his apartment. Prolman was in Florida at the time, and returned to Maine within a few days, according to the petition.

“The events which occurred thereafter, as detailed in the confidential affidavit of Bar Counsel, constituted serious and reprehensible professional misconduct by Attorney Prolman,” the petition said.

Although the documents do not spell out the alleged conduct, attorneys for the bar cited half a dozen areas of the Maine Rules of Professional Conduct that he is alleged to have violated, including provisions on conflict of interest; reasonableness of fees; failure to regard moral, ethical, social or economic considerations when providing advice to a client; as well as others.

Prolman has not been charged with any crimes, said his attorney, James M. Bowie, who is representing Prolman in the bar matter.

Bowie declined to discuss the specifics of the underlying allegations, but said Prolman has spent the last year rebuilding his law practice since being reinstated after a 2014 conviction on federal money laundering charges.

“He’s providing excellent advice and counsel to his clients and has been getting really good results,” Bowie said during a brief phone interview.

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Prolman rose to prominence as a defense attorney, and also as a sports agent for professional hockey players.

But in 2012 Prolman was indicted on a federal money laundering charge for laundering $177,500 that belonged to a convicted marijuana smuggler introduced to Prolman by his cocaine dealer.

According to court records, during the time before his indictment in 2012 and for years prior, Prolman regularly used cocaine and sometimes drank excessively.

The marijuana smuggler, David Jones, eventually invested money in Prolman’s side business as a sports agent.

The relationship between Prolman and Jones came to light after Jones was arrested in Kansas in September 2012 while driving more than 100 pounds of marijuana from California to Maine.

After initially denying wrongdoing, Prolman pleaded guilty in 2014 to the money laundering charge, repaid the $177,500, and served nine months in a federal penitentiary in Pennsylvania starting in 2015. He concluded his sentence in stages, first at a halfway house and then in home confinement.

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The Maine Board of Bar Overseers originally suspended Prolman’s license while he served time. After his release, bar attorneys sought to disbar Prolman outright, but in a decision issued in March 2016, Justice Alexander reinstated Prolman’s law license as of July 1, 2016.

Matt Byrne can be contacted at 791-6303 or at:

mbyrne@pressherald.com

Twitter: MattByrnePPH


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