Lawyer Faces Federal Case, Accused of Handling Client Trust Money in Ponzi-Scheme-Like Manner
A Kansas lawyer has been charged in federal court in Topeka with stealing more than $463,000 from his client trust account, which he is accused of handling in a manner equivalent to a Ponzi scheme.
Robert M. Telthorst, 52, faces charges of money laundering and wire fraud after prosecutors say he used the money either for his own benefit or to cover up other thefts from clients, the Topeka Capital-Journal reports.
A criminal information says the money was taken between November 2005 and August 2011.
An earlier Capital-Journal article says the state supreme court has scheduled a show-cause hearing next week to determine whether his law license should be temporarily suspended pending further disciplinary action.
It also says Telthorst’s legal counsel declined to comment when contacted by the newspaper last month; the current article also does not include any comment from his lawyers.
