New Hampshire Attorney General Kelly A. Ayotte announces that Douglas C. Gray, formerly an attorney practicing in Dover, entered a guilty plea to one charge of theft by misapplication of property for misappropriating client funds. Gray, age 66, had been charged following an investigation by the Attorney General's Office. Previously, the New Hampshire Supreme Court's Attorney Discipline Office had conducted an audit of Gray's accounts. In December of 2005, Gray was disbarred.

The complaint to which Gray pled guilty charged that, in his capacity as an attorney, Gray obtained approximately $389,000 for the benefit of a client and purposely failed to make the required payments to or on behalf of that client, instead dealing with the money as if it was his own. He was sentenced to serve 5 to 15 years in the New Hampshire State Prison, with 2½ years deferred for 10 years and then suspended for an additional 5 years. He was also sentenced to make restitution.

Attorney General Kelly A. Ayotte stated, "Unlawful conduct by attorneys erodes the important trust that citizens expect and deserve from the legal profession. Any allegations of unlawful conduct by attorneys will be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent by this Office to preserve the public's trust."