WOBURN, MASS. (WHDH) – An attorney from Melrose is accused embezzling more than $600,000 from two of his his clients, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan announced Thursday.
Henry Rappa, 57, appeared in Malden District Court to face several charges including two counts of embezzlement, two counts of larceny, and unauthorized practice of law. He is accused of stealing the funds from two people who hired him as their attorney.
Prosecutors said Rappa was suspended from practicing law in 2023, but kept working anyway. They said he was ordered to close his trust accounts and return client funds, but never did.
“There were a number of requests for those funds, they were never provided. There were all sorts of excuses provided by Mr. Rappa, as to, he was busy, he was traveling,” said Prosecutor Mary O’Neill.
In the first case, investigators said a client gave Rappa approximately $660,000 to hold in a trust account, but he did not properly safeguard the funds.
In the second case, prosecutors said Rappa handlded a real estate closing and kept thousands of dollars from the sale.
“As late as December 29 of 2025, he is alleged to have handled a real estate closing for a separate client, and instead of properly distributing the proceeds of that sale, he allegedly retained $3,200 as well as an additional $18,100,” said Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan.
Rappa’s attorney said his client is a father of three with no prior record.
Ryan said cases like this one are on the rise, and warns people to do their homework before hiring a lawyer.
“So the question is, what should you do in retaining a lawyer? Certainly the recommendation is to do your research,” she said.
Rappa and his attorney had no comment outside court Thursday.
He was ordered to hand over his passport and have no contact with any witnesses.
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