A longtime Duluth con man, who falsely claimed to have operated a law firm and swindled a victim out of a retainer fee, was sentenced to 21 months in prison for wire fraud on Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis.

Gale Allen Rachuy, 73, will follow his sentence with three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger said in a news release.

According to court documents filed in late 2022, Rachuy told the victim he had operated Midwest Legal Services for 38 years and that his partners included former federal and state judges. He asked for a $10,000 retainer from the Fayetteville, Ark.-based victim, who wanted legal representation for a post-conviction motion. The victim wired Rachuy an installment of $2,500 from a credit union.

The victim quickly became suspicious about not receiving drafts of legal documents. After exchanging several messages in which Rachuy continued the ruse, he agreed to return the money he had received from the victim — but never did.

The judges Rachuy cited were not tied to the firm, and Midwest Legal Services did not exist.

Rachuy pleaded guilty to the single count of wire fraud in May. He has had about 30 felony convictions — including one in 2005 for having an unauthorized law practice.