Toms River, NJ – A former attorney who continued accepting clients after being disbarred has been sentenced to probation for stealing more than $70,000 from victims who believed he was authorized to practice law, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced.
David T. Schlendorf, 54, of Holladay, Utah, was sentenced Thursday by Judge Guy P. Ryan to three years of probation after previously pleading guilty to five counts of Theft by Deception and one count of Unauthorized Practice of Law. Judge Ryan also ordered Schlendorf to have no contact with any of his victims.
Investigation uncovered multiple victims
Schlendorf pleaded guilty before Judge Ryan on April 27. According to Billhimer, “Judge Ryan ordered that Schlendorf have no contact with any of his victims,” and officials confirmed he has “paid full restitution in the amount of $70,755.”
The investigation, conducted by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Economic Crime Squad and the Toms River Police Department Detective Bureau, began after a Toms River resident hired Schlendorf in March 2025 to handle a legal matter and paid him approximately $10,000.
Investigators determined Schlendorf falsely represented himself as a licensed attorney despite having been disbarred in New Jersey in December 2022.
Additional victims identified
Authorities arrested Schlendorf in Toms River on Oct. 7, 2025. He was taken into custody by detectives from the prosecutor’s Economic Crime Squad and the Toms River Police Department, transported to the Ocean County Jail, and later released under New Jersey’s bail reform law.
As the investigation expanded, detectives identified five additional victims who hired Schlendorf between January 2023 and September 2025 to represent them in legal matters. Prosecutors said those victims collectively paid him approximately $60,000 for legal services he was not authorized to provide.
Billhimer said the case was prosecuted by Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Shanon Chant-Berry and praised the investigators involved, commending “the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Economic Crime Squad and Toms River Township Police Department Detective Bureau for their combined and collective efforts relative to this investigation.”
Why it matters
The case serves as a reminder for consumers to verify that attorneys are licensed and in good standing before retaining legal representation. State disciplinary records are publicly available and can help prevent similar fraud schemes.
Sources: Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, Ocean County Superior Court.
