A federal judge this afternoon sentenced a former Verrill Dana law partner to 28 months in prison for tax evasion charges.

U.S. District Judge George Singal told John D. Duncan that he broke the public trust when he stole $300,000 from his clients and the law firm over the past decade.

"People wonder who they can believe in," Singal said. "That's the real damage here. People's ability to trust has been harmed across the board.

"It pains me that someone as well educated as you are, an individual who the community should look up to … has fallen so far," the judge said.

Duncan, 54, of Falmouth, was permanently disbarred in July by the state Supreme Court. That was believed to be the toughest penalty ever handed down against a Maine lawyer.

He has also pleaded guilty to felony theft charges in Cumberland County Superior Court. His sentencing on those charges is set for Sept. 18, and any prison term will likely run concurrently to the federal sentence.

Duncan handled wills, estates and trusts for Verrill Dana, which is based in Portland and traces its roots to 1862. His thefts were exposed after a legal secretary blew the whistle on Duncan's accounting practices last June.

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