By: Associated Press//August 13, 2018//
ATLANTA (AP) — Federal prosecutors in Atlanta say a former lawyer used the identities of three dozen former clients without their knowledge to apply for fraudulent litigation advances.
Prosecutors said in a news release Monday that Chalmer “Chuck” Detling II, was indicted last week on seven counts of wire fraud and eight counts of aggravated identity theft. It wasn’t immediately clear whether he had an attorney who could comment.
Prosecutors say Detling practiced personal injury law in Marietta before voluntarily surrendering his law license in October 2016.
Litigation advances are typically meant to cover non-litigation expenses for people with a pending personal injury or worker’s compensation lawsuit. Prosecutors say that from October 2014 through April 2016, Detling fraudulently obtained 50 litigation advances totaling more than $383,000 in the names of 36 clients.