Former Columbus, Ohio, Lawyer Pleads Guilty to Making False Statements to FBI Regarding Disclosure of Information on Client in Drug and Sex Trafficking Investigation

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A former Columbus, Ohio, lawyer pleaded guilty in federal court in the Southern District of Ohio to charges of making false statements to the FBI, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

Dennis W. McNamara, 74, pleaded guilty on March 18, 2025, to two counts before Chief United States District Judge Sarah D. Morrison.

In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that McNamara—then a practicing lawyer in the Southern District of Ohio—represented a cooperating witness who provided information into a drug trafficking and sex trafficking organization operating in Columbus. At the time, McNamara was separately engaged in a sexual relationship with a female sex worker. McNamara informed the sex worker that he represented the cooperating witness and provided the woman with details of his client’s cooperation, placing his client at great risk of potential harm. When agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation questioned him regarding his disclosures, McNamara lied to agents about having revealed the information.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio was recused from the investigation and prosecution of this matter; the matter then was assigned to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

A date for sentencing will be determined by the Court. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Mark V. Gurzo is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The case was investigated by the FBI’s Southern Ohio Public Corruption Task Force, which includes special agents and officers from the FBI, Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and Columbus Division of Police. The Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force also collaborated on this investigation.