Ex-attorney William Conour still has not secured legal counsel in his federal wire fraud case, he told Chief Judge Richard Young during a status hearing conducted by phone Tuesday.

Formerly a leading Indiana personal injury and wrongful death attorney, Conour is accused by the government of stealing $4.5 million from clients’ trust funds in a Ponzi scheme over several years. The case in the District Court for the Southern District of Indiana is U.S. v. William Conour, 1:12-CR-0129.

A federal court deputy said Tuesday that Young indicated that an in-person status conference for Conour will be scheduled for sometime in January.

Conour in September parted ways with his then-attorneys, Richard Kammen and Dorie Maryan. He indicated that he didn’t intend to proceed as a pro se litigant and would require disbursements from a trust fund to retain legal counsel.

A trust fund of $100,000 had been established earlier in the year for the purpose of compensating client victims and for Conour’s legal defense. In September, Young allowed Conour a disbursement of $15,000 from the trust, which had a balance of $39,297.35 afterward. In October, Young awarded Conour another $35,000 from the trust.