The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) announced that Andrew Piltser Cowan, 42, of Somerville pleaded guilty in Suffolk Superior Court to three counts of Fiduciary Embezzlement and was sentenced to 2.5 years in the House of Correction, suspended for three years, followed by three years probation. Additionally, Piltser Cowan was ordered to pay $917,988 in restitution, undergo a mental health evaluation and follow any treatment deemed necessary, and not handle assets on behalf of others.
Piltser Cowan was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar in 2008 and established a law firm, PiltserCowan Law, LLC in 2018. During their time at the firm, Piltser Cowan was appointed as a trustee for three trust accounts with named beneficiaries and embezzled funds from these accounts beginning in 2019 and continuing through 2022. In taking money from the accounts, Piltser Cowan left the beneficiaries without substantial funds due to them, including an inheritance for one victim, funds with which to pursue higher education for others, and a lifetime financial safety net for another.
Piltser Cowan was disbarred in October 2023 after embezzling approximately $945,000 from three separate trust accounts. Piltser Cowan used these funds to buoy their failing law firm and pay for personal expenses.
This matter was handled by Deputy Chief Elizabeth Burke of the AGO’s White Collar and Public Integrity Division.
The White Collar and Public Integrity Division investigates and prosecutes serious criminal misconduct involving crimes against public agencies, corrupt public employees and public entities, crimes that have a harmful effect on public confidence in our government and other trusted institutions, and financial crimes.
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