‘It all went down the drain’: Former Norwalk cop says attorney allegedly stole $925K from home sale

NORWALK — Joe Jensen is still enjoying life.

But there’s been some strain after his attorney allegedly stole about $925,000 from him, stripping away the fruits of decades of work as a Norwalk police officer and homeowner.

His former attorney, Carl Ferraro, a Darien resident, was arrested in June after police said he stole funds from a number of clients.

“It was a lifetime of effort,” Jensen said in an interview. “It all went down the drain.”

The series of events began, Jensen said, after an unexpected boon. Following the death of his first wife, Jensen had expected to remain a widower, but “a wonderful thing happened” — he “found love a second time.”

With that joyous impetus, Jensen decided to sell his home. Jensen said he was initially hesitant since he had raised his children there, and sunk time and effort into it, including painting the place twice. But the funds could help take care of his family, and letting go of the property would allow for a fresh start.

After navigating the home-selling process for the first time in years, Jensen was compelled to seek a real estate attorney. He said a former colleague-turned-lawyer recommended Ferraro.

“Things were good for a while,” Jensen said, noting that Ferraro seemed sharp and knowledgeable. “Everything went smoothly until the house was sold.”

The purchase went through on Feb. 25. He said the buyer paid Ferraro, who in turn, was to supply him with a check.

But days went by and Jensen said he didn’t hear from Ferraro. Jensen said he eventually went to Ferraro’s office and was given a check. But by the time he went to deposit it, Jensen claims the check had been canceled.

“I was in disbelief. I was in shock,” Jensen said. “We were distraught.”

Jensen filed a police report, and following an investigation, Ferraro was arrested this month on eight counts of first-degree larceny. In court proceedings, officials said Ferraro stole amounts ranging from $68,800 to $922,536 from clients between November 2021 and March 2022.

Ferraro’s attorney, Suzanne Sutton, of Bridgeport-based firm Cohen and Wolf, said her client has been suffering from “serious mental and physical health situations” that precipitated his alleged crimes and arrest. Ferraro resigned from the Connecticut law bar in April.

“He’s been struggling with those issues for quite some time, which is really what led us to this point,” she said.

“First and foremost, it's very sad for the victims,” she said. “There's too many victims and too much money and a lot of pain, but he is feeling quite remorseful.”

Jensen said he’s hopeful the state’s Client Security Fund, set up for these types of circumstances, will eventually reimburse him.

In the meantime, Jensen said, he and his family are managing to make ends meet — he has his pension from his service with Norwalk police, a part-time job and some Social Security.

But, despite the difficulty of the matter, Jensen said he’s glad to be alive. He and his wife had to cancel travel plans, but they are enjoying their time together.

“Every day I wake up with a pulse, I’m thrilled,” Jensen said.

Staff writers Peter Yankowski and Verónica Del Valle contributed to this story.