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The allegations stem from August 2018, when a couple in the process of divorcing agreed that the proceeds from the sale of their house would be held in an interest-bearing account controlled by Schindler Law Group LLC., Thomas K. Schindler's law practice that represented one of the complainants, according to the Chester County District Attorney's office.
When the house was sold in March 2020, $991,405 was transferred to a Key Bank account in the name of Schindler's law practice, authorities said.
Throughout the next seven months – until November 2020 – neither complainant received any money from Schindler despite repeated requests to get it.
Soon after, Schindler was disbarred from practicing law by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania in July 2020 for an unrelated case, the DA's office said.
After the disbarment, the divorcing couple could not reach the defendant regarding the money he owed them.
On October 19, 2020, a Court of Common Pleas judge granted an Emergency Petition filed by a complainant that requested all money from the house proceeds be transferred to a Pitcairn Trust Company account shared by the complainants, the DA's office said.
Approximately a month later, after no money had been transferred, the complainant contacted the Easttown Township Police Department.
That same day, a representative of Pitcairn Trust notified the complainant that $25,000 had been transferred from Schindler's account at Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union.
Over the next three weeks, another $225,000 was transferred to the complainants’ account. None of the $250,000 in transfers originated from the Key Bank account where the money was legally required to be held, authorities said.
During the investigation, investigators found a series of deposits, withdrawals, and transfers to and from Schindler's accounts at Key Bank, including a $991,628 deposit to the Schindler Law Group LLC’s account in March 2020.
It was later discovered that money was moved between Key Bank accounts held by Schindler Law Group LLC and Waterbury Kitchen and Bath LLC, where Schindler and another partner are co-signers on both accounts, authorities said.
The Schindler Law Group LLC account was closed in June 2020, with the remaining $352,564 transferred to an account under Schindler's name. That account was then closed in July 2020 with money transferred to another Key Bank account, authorities said.
No money was transferred to the complainant’s Pitcairn Trust account.
On March 8, 2021, $170,000 was transferred to the Pitcairn Trust account from a PNC account held by Schindler, the DA's office said.
To date, Schindler has failed to transfer over $570,000 to the complainants, authorities said.
“The defendant abused his position of trust and used every delay tactic possible to hide his illegal financial activity from these victims," DA Deb Ryan said.
"He will be held accountable for his greed and all the money he stole. No one is above the law.”
Schindler was arraigned on June 16, 2021, by Magisterial District Judge Tartaglio with bail set at $25,000.
His preliminary hearing is set for June 23.
Easttown Township Police and Chester County Detectives are investigating.
Deputy District Attorney William Judge is the assigned prosecutor.
Authorities are urging anyone with information regarding this case, to call Detective Andrew Tritz at 610-341-9780 or Detective Keith Cowdright at 610-344-6866.
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