New York Attorney Sentenced to Prison for Embezzling More Than $500K from Trust

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that EDWARD W. MILLER, 71, of Lawrence, New York, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to eight months of imprisonment and one year of supervised release for embezzling more than $500,000 from a trust he managed.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Miller was an attorney licensed to practice law in New York.  In December 2014, an individual, identified in court documents as “M.P.,” established a trust for the purpose of managing certain real property, including a commercial building that M.P. owned in New Canaan, Connecticut.  Miller was named as the trustee for the trust (the “M.P. Trust”) and was directed to open a trust bank account to manage the finances of the real property in the M.P. Trust, including depositing rental income from the commercial building into the trust account, paying costs associated with the management of the building, and distributing funds to M.P.  Miller was also responsible for overseeing the maintenance of the building in the M.P. Trust.  The trust provided that Miller would be paid five percent of total monthly rents collected and any agreed-upon commissions for new tenant leases and renewals.

Between approximately February 2016 and September 2022, Miller embezzled more than $500,000 from the M.P. Trust by writing and negotiating unauthorized checks from the M.P. Trust to himself, his law practice, and to his relatives for his own benefit.  He also made unauthorized withdrawals and transfers from the M.P. Trust bank account for his own benefit.  After M.P. died in 2022, Miller made false representations and promises to M.P.’s beneficiaries about the identification, whereabouts, and disbursement of the trust’s assets.

On May 29, 2026, Miller pleaded guilty to wire fraud.

Miller has previously paid restitution of $509,372.82 as part of a settlement of a separate civil lawsuit filed by the victims.

Miller, who is released on a $200,000 bond, is required to report to prison on January 11.

This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Huang.