Former CT cop says attorney allegedly stole $925K from home sale
NORWALK — Joe Jensen is nevertheless taking pleasure in existence.
But there is been some pressure after his attorney allegedly stole about $925,000 from him, stripping away the fruits of decades of operate as a Norwalk police officer and home-owner.
His former attorney, Carl Ferraro, a Darien resident, was arrested in June right after police claimed he stole money from a amount of purchasers.
“It was a life time of work,” Jensen stated in an interview. “It all went down the drain.”
The sequence of occasions started, Jensen stated, right after an surprising boon. Next the dying of his initially spouse, Jensen experienced predicted to stay a widower, but “a great detail happened” — he “found like a next time.”
With that joyous impetus, Jensen determined to offer his house. Jensen mentioned he was initially hesitant due to the fact he experienced lifted his little ones there, and sunk time and exertion into it, including painting the area twice. But the funds could assistance just take care of his spouse and children, and allowing go of the property would permit for a fresh begin.
Right after navigating the property-selling course of action for the first time in decades, Jensen was compelled to look for a genuine estate attorney. He claimed a former colleague-turned-lawyer advisable Ferraro.
“Things were good for a although,” Jensen reported, noting that Ferraro seemed sharp and knowledgeable. “Everything went smoothly until finally the dwelling was bought.”
The acquire went as a result of on Feb. 25. He said the consumer compensated Ferraro, who in change, was to source him with a look at.
But times went by and Jensen mentioned he did not listen to from Ferraro. Jensen said he sooner or later went to Ferraro’s business and was offered a look at. But by the time he went to deposit it, Jensen claims the verify experienced been canceled.
“I was in disbelief. I was in shock,” Jensen stated. “We were being distraught.”
Jensen filed a police report, and pursuing an investigation, Ferraro was arrested this thirty day period on eight counts of to start with-diploma larceny. In courtroom proceedings, officials explained Ferraro stole quantities ranging from $68,800 to $922,536 from purchasers among November 2021 and March 2022.
Ferraro’s lawyer, Suzanne Sutton, of Bridgeport-based organization Cohen and Wolf, stated her shopper has been suffering from “serious mental and physical wellbeing situations” that precipitated his alleged crimes and arrest. Ferraro resigned from the Connecticut regulation bar in April.
“He’s been struggling with those people problems for pretty some time, which is really what led us to this position,” she stated.
“First and foremost, it is really incredibly sad for the victims,” she explained. “There’s much too lots of victims and too significantly dollars and a whole lot of ache, but he is sensation quite remorseful.”
Jensen explained he’s hopeful the state’s Consumer Safety Fund, established up for these sorts of instances, will eventually reimburse him.
In the meantime, Jensen explained, he and his household are taking care of to make ends meet up with — he has his pension from his support with Norwalk law enforcement, a component-time job and some Social Safety.
But, irrespective of the problems of the matter, Jensen said he’s glad to be alive. He and his wife had to terminate travel designs, but they are having fun with their time jointly.
“Every working day I wake up with a pulse, I’m thrilled,” Jensen stated.
Staff writers Peter Yankowski and Verónica Del Valle contributed to this story.