James L. Sargent (c.1854-?) was one of the lead conspirators in the fraudulent Spofford murder case. He was a career criminal who, along with his sister, Laura, operated several saloons and brothels in Boston and Gloucester, Massachusetts. (While newspapers stated that James and Laura were brother and sister, there is no documentary evidence to confirm this.) He spent his life in and out of prison following convictions for larceny, selling liquor illegally, and perjury. (The perjury conviction related to his offering $2,100 as bond in court when he knowingly didn't have the money. This was in April 1879, just after the resolution of the Spofford "murder" case.)

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