A Florida lawyer who disappeared and is accused of stealing $840,000 has been arrested
When the state Supreme Court suspended Pinellas Park attorney Chris Reynolds in December, the Florida Bar said the personal injury lawyer had disappeared owing clients and medical providers about $211,000.
The Pinelleas County Sheriff’s Office said Reynolds ripped off $840,000 from 16 clients — and more victims could be out there.
READ MORE: Did suspended lawyer Chris Reynolds steal money from his clients?
Pinellas County Sheriff Gualtieri announced Monday that Reynolds has been arrested on 14 counts of grand theft, one count of grand theft from a person 65 or older and one count of money laundering. The 44-year-old remains in Pinellas County jail.
Gaultieri said a woman contacted his office in October stating she had hired Reynolds, who specialized in auto accident cases, to handle her case in 2020. Once Reynolds stopped answering her phone calls and messages, she contacted the insurance company of the other driver involved in the crash.
That’s when, Gaultieri said, Reynolds’ client reached out to the insurance company. The insurance company told her Reynolds had settled her case for $100,000. Gaultieri said Reynolds forged the woman’s name on settlement documents and kept the cash that should have gone to her and the doctors who treated her.
Reynolds’ repeated this pattern with others, Gaultieri said.
After an investigation, Gaultieri said, “it’s believed that a portion of the stolen money was used to buy drugs.” Also, “he spent a lot of money on pornography and prostitutes.”
Reynolds’ expenditures Gaultieri alleged by numbers were $30,000 on OnlyFans sites, $400,000 on PayPal and $24,000 on Uber rides.
If you think you’re a victim of Chris Reynolds or know of someone who might be, call the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office at 727-582-6786.
This story was originally published March 1, 2023 at 12:50 PM with the headline "A Florida lawyer who disappeared and is accused of stealing $840,000 has been arrested."
