BOSTON — A disbarred Boston attorney has been sentenced to prison for stealing nearly $2 million from clients to sustain his gambling addiction and lifestyle, the Attorney General’s office said Thursday.
Benjamin Tariri, 68, of Boston, was sentenced to 3 to 5 years in state prison, followed by three years of probation, the Attorney General’s office said in a statement.
Tariri embezzled nearly $2 million in funds entrusted to him by eight of his clients and falsified client ledgers in an attempt to prevent the Board of Bar Overseers from taking further action against him, prosecutors said.
Tariri was also ordered to repay $575,000 in restitution and seek treatment for his gambling addiction.
On March 6, a Suffolk Superior Court jury found Tariri guilty on six counts of fiduciary embezzlement, one count of Larceny over $250 from a person over 60, two counts of Larceny over $1200, and five counts of attempted obstruction of Board of Bar Overseers proceedings.
Tariri was an attorney with a general practice in Boston. According to the Attorney General’s Office, he developed a gambling addiction and began embezzling money from clients to sustain his addiction and lifestyle.
Several clients and attorneys complained to the Board of Bar Overseers, which conducted an investigation that ultimately led to Tariri’s disbarment in 2023.
During the course of the Board of Bar Overseers’ investigation, Tariri submitted ledgers that falsely indicated he was holding funds for clients when he had already spent those funds on unauthorized transactions, prosecutors said.
Tariri is the second Massachusetts attorney to be sentenced to prison this week for stealing from clients.
On Tuesday, Patrick J. Dolan, 60, of North Attleboro and Haverhill, was sentenced Tuesday in federal court to 39 months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said in a statement.
Dolan stole more than $2 million that he was holding in escrow pending the outcome of a family trust lawsuit in which Dolan represented one of the parties, prosecutors said.
Dolan pleaded guilty in October to four counts of wire fraud. He was charged in July 2025.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
©2026 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/7QOJU3BNCJERBNKJC5LWTBYFLU.png)
