TOMS RIVER, NJ – A disbarred attorney from Utah has been charged with theft by deception and unauthorized practice of law after allegedly posing as a licensed attorney and collecting thousands of dollars from a client in Ocean County, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office.
Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that 54-year-old David T. Schlendorf, of Holladay, Utah, was arrested Tuesday following an investigation by the prosecutor’s Economic Crime Squad and the Toms River Township Police Department Detective Bureau.
Authorities said that in March 2025, a Toms River resident hired Schlendorf to represent him in a legal matter and paid him approximately $10,000 in fees — unaware that Schlendorf had been disbarred in New Jersey in December 2022.
Investigation reveals misrepresentation
Detectives determined that Schlendorf falsely presented himself as a practicing attorney while taking payment for legal services. He was taken into custody in Toms River and is being held at the Ocean County Jail pending a detention hearing.
Prosecutor urges other potential victims to come forward
“If anyone else has paid Mr. Schlendorf in connection with legal services after December of 2022, I urge you to contact Detective Jason Putkowski of the Toms River Police Department or Sgt. Lindsay Llauget of our office,” Billhimer said.
The prosecutor commended investigators from both agencies for their “combined and collective efforts” in uncovering the alleged scheme.