TOMS RIVER – A Utah man has been charged with posing as an attorney and taking thousands of dollars from a Toms River resident for legal services, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced.
David T. Schlendorf, 54, of Holladay, Utah, was charged with Theft by Deception and Unauthorized Practice of Law following an investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Economic Crime Squad and the Toms River Police Detective Bureau.
Authorities said that in March 2025, a Toms River resident paid Schlendorf about $10,000 after hiring him to handle a legal matter. Investigators later discovered that Schlendorf had been disbarred in New Jersey since December 2022 and falsely represented himself as a licensed attorney.
He was arrested in Toms River on October 7 and taken to the Ocean County Jail, where he remains pending a detention hearing.
Billhimer urged anyone who may have paid Schlendorf for legal services after his disbarment to contact Detective Jason Putkowski at 732-349-0150 ext. 1349 or Sgt. Lindsay Llauget at 732-929-2027 ext. 3462.
All charges are accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
