A former Fairfield attorney was sentenced in federal court Thursday to three years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his part in a life insurance scheme that netted him $272,000.

U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson handed down the sentence to 62-year-old David Quatrella, who pleaded guilty in January to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Quatrella, who worked for Quatrella & Rizio until it disbanded in 2015, faced a maximum of five years in prison.

Quatrella argued in his sentencing memorandum that he should be spared prison time. The memo included comments from acquaintances and former employees. One woman wrote that Quatrella “gave me the opportunity to stay out on maternity leave longer when he found out my mother was dying so that I could be there for her and my dad.”