Mawhinney released to see ailing father in Fla.
Former attorney’s bond on conspiracy charges reduced
Attorney Kent Mawhinney, accused of conspiracy to commit murder in the disappearance of New Canaan mother Jennifer Farber Dulos, was released from prison Monday to visit his ailing father in Florida.
Mawhinney has been in jail on a $2 million bond since his arrest on Jan. 7 for his alleged involvement in the disappearance of Farber Dulos in May2019. Hehaspleaded not guilty.
Attorney LeeGoldfiledamotiontomodify Mawhinney’s bond conditions and it was granted by Judge John Blawie after Chief State’s Attorney’s Richard Colangelo didn’t object to it.
His bond was reduced to $246,000, of which$50,000iscashandtherestarealestate bond put up by his parents.
In his motion to get Mawhinney released, Gold said that Mawhinney’s father, who lives in Florida, is suffering from cancer and Mawhinneywantstogoseehimbeforehedies.
Mawhinney was brought to Stamford Superior Court on Monday morning but didn’t appear in court since his release had already been agreed upon.
He will be under several restrictions, whichwilllikely include having to wearaGPS ankle bracelet — as does his codefendant, Michelle Troconis, who also recently was allowed to travel to Florida to see her father who had been infected with COVID-19. She has also pleaded not guilty.
Both of them have been charged with conspiracy to commit murder.
Mawhinney represented Fotis Dulos on several real estate deals and also originally in acivil lawsuit filedbyGloria Farber, Jennifer’s mother, alleging that Dulosowedhermillions of dollars in loans that her late husband had given him.
OnMay24,2019, the day that Farber Dulos disappeared, Mawhinney went to Dulos’ home in Farmington supposedly for a meeting that never occurred. Wheninitially interviewed by state police about his actions on May 24, Mawhinney said he didn’t rememberbecausehehasfallenadayortwolaterand suffered a head injury. In addition his phone had been broken.
Mawhinney was arrested by state troopers in Tolland after allegedly trying to flee the state. He was arrested the same day Dulos waschargedwiththemurderofhisestranged wife. Dulos has since died after attempting to kill himself only weeks after the arrests.
The arrest warrant for Mawhinney, of South Windsor, outlines allegations that he conspired withDulosinthedisappearance of FarberDulos, the51-year-old motherofDulos’ five children, on May24.
In an arrest warrant affidavit, state police detectives wrote that Mawhinney was present at Dulos’ officethedayFarberDuloswent missing and his name appeared on detailed notes taken by Dulos and Troconis, his then-girlfriend, that investigators called the “Alibi Scripts.”
State police detectives also said Duloscalled Mawhinney while Dulos and Troconis were discarding garbagebags, later foundtocontain Farber Dulos’ blood, in Hartford’s North End on May24, records show.
Mawhinney, when asked by detectives, denied having any contact with Dulos on
May24.
Investigators also connected Mawhinney to the discovery of what they believe was a humangravedugatagunclubinEastGranby, court records show.
Mawhinney, like Dulos, was in the midst of a contentious divorce. In court records connected to an earlier arrest of Mawhinney, lawyers outline an effort by Dulos to broker communication between Mawhinney and his estranged wife, despite arestraining order against Mawhinney.
Dulosinvited Mawhinney’sestrangedwife to meetings, including one at his Farmington home, on May 19, where she would talk to Mawhinney, court records show. Mawhinney’s wife did not agree to the meeting at the Farmington home unless lawyers were present.
The following day, Dulos called the wife to say Mawhinney was willing to meet with lawyers present, records show. Mawhinney’s estranged wife declined, saying she spoke with her lawyer and did not want to have contact with Mawhinney.