Former Freehold Lawyer Jailed for Embezzling $885K

A former Freehold attorney was sentenced Thursday to 33 months in prison for embezzling $885,000 and using it to pay for personal expenses, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman said.

Timothy Provost, 58, of Millstone Township, NJ previously pleaded guilty to charges of one count of mail fraud.

Provost admitted that between April 2004 and January 2011, he wrote checks from the firm’s attorney trust and business accounts to himself and his personal creditors, Fishman said. The money was used to pay for his and his family’s personal expenses, including his mortgage, his children’s tuition and horse stable expenses.

Provost then mailed some of the checks to his personal creditors. He also admitted to attempting to hide his theft by using the stolen funds to purchase cashier’s checks payable to his creditors or to himself, Fishman said.

As a partner at the Freehold-based law firm, Provost has access to bank accounts to conduct real estate transactions, such as closings and refinancing, for clients. His theft left several clients with double mortgages, which insurance is covering.

In addition to the 33 months, Provost was sentenced to three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $887,134 in restitution. 

The name of the Freehold law firm was not released, but Law360.com reported that Provost most recently was employed at Provost & Colrick. He was suspended from the New Jersey State Bar Association in March 2011 and disbarred in 2012.