State Police: Essex Attorney Steals Thousands, Fled To Mexico

A long-time Essex attorney is suspected of stealing roughly $300,000 from clients before fleeing to Mexico for several months, according to state police.

Troopers first learned of the suspected theft by attorney John J. Carta Jr. in March of last year, when they were contacted by a West Hartford attorney representing an Essex couple. The attorney claimed Carta had represented the couple in civil litigation and that a judgment had been handed down against them in which they owed a contractor $200,000, an arrest warrant affidavit for Carta said.

While Carta appealed the judgment, the couple attempted to get a second mortgage on their home and wired $300,000 to Carta for title insurance,and the money was placed in a trustee account at a local bank, the affidavit read.

The West Hartford attorney, who was making a complaint to the state bar association, told state police the money was missing. State police investigators learned that the title insurance company never received the $300,000 needed fso the couple could refinance their Essex home, the affidavit says.

Financial records secured by the investigators showed that the $300,000 had been wired into an Interest on Lawyer Trust Account at the Essex Savings Bank belonging to Carta in July 2011, the affidavit says.

Investigators noted that there was no $300,000 payment to the title insurance company, nor were there any lump payments of that amount. They discovered multiple payments to a PayPal account, Ameritrade and to Carta, the affidavit says. The account was closed in June 2014 when the final $44.12 was transferred to a different Essex Savings Bank account belonging to Carta, the affidavit says.

Investigators reviewed more accounts belonging to Carta and found that no repayment had been made to the victims, the affidavit says.

Records showed that Carta was frequently in San Diego and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, through the end of 2016, the affidavit says.

In response to a letter from the West Hartford attorney about the missing money, Carta said “there are certain things that occured during the period of time in question which I was never aware, not condoned: however these occurrences happened under my watch and I take full responsibility,” the affidavit says.

In this response, Carta requested that the matter be handled between the attorneys and his insurance company.

In May this year, investigators obtained a warrant charging Carta, 72, with first-degree larceny. State police said Carta had fled to Mexico for several months and was taken into custody by authorities on Aug. 17 in San Diego as he attempted to return to the country.

Carta waived extradition and was escorted back to Connecticut by authorities. He has been held on $50,000 and was expected in court on Thursday.

State records show that Carta, who admitted to the bar in 1969, has been under administrative suspension for failing to pay the client security fund fee.