A Wheeling attorney, Paul J. Harris, has been indicted on charges of mail fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, and unlawful monetary transactions. The indictment alleges that Harris engaged in fraudulent activities involving client funds between April 2014 and June 2025.
The indictment was issued on June 3, and Harris is accused of misusing client funds to conduct illegal financial transactions. If convicted, he could face severe penalties: up to 20 years in federal prison for each count of mail and wire fraud, up to 30 years for each bank fraud count, and up to 10 years for each unlawful monetary transaction count.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jarod J. Douglas and Jennifer T. Conklin are leading the prosecution for the government. The investigation was carried out by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation division.
It is important to note that an indictment is merely an allegation at this stage. A defendant remains presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
