Lawyer now facing federal charges

A Woodbridge lawyer accused of stealing settlement money owed to his clients is now facing federal charges.

Federal authorities have charged Stephen J. Conrad, 40, of Purcellville, with one count of wire fraud, according to court documents.

Conrad, who worked as a personal injury lawyer in Woodbridge, was first arrested on Dec. 5 and charged by Prince William County authorities with four counts of forgery and one count of embezzlement.

He was scheduled to appear in Prince William General District Court on Wednesday for a preliminary hearing on those charges, but prosecutors dropped the charges.

State prosecutors agreed to drop the charges because Conrad now faces federal charges, Commonwealth's Attorney Paul B. Ebert said.

Federal authorities believe that Conrad defrauded between 200 and 300 of his clients, taking a total of at least $3.4 million in settlements owed to the clients for himself, Federal Bureau of Investigations Special Agent Robert L. Werner wrote in an affidavit on file at U.S. District Court in Alexandria.

The federal wire fraud charge is based on one case in which Conrad allegedly took for himself a $50,000 settlement owed to a man who was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident in McLean.

In that case, federal authorities believe that Conrad obtained the $50,000 settlement from an insurance agency, forged his client's signature on the check and deposited it in his own bank account.

The client said he did not know that Conrad received the settlement, Werner wrote in the affidavit.

If convicted of wire fraud, Conrad could face up to 20 years in prison.

Conrad's license to practice law was revoked in December, according to Virginia State Bar Disciplinary Board documents.

Staff writer Amanda Stewart can be reached at 703-878-8014.