Feds: Cobb attorney stole dozens of clients’ identities for loans

A former Marietta attorney has been charged with stealing the identities of 36 clients and taking out loans in their names.

Chalmer "Chuck" Detling II, 42, was indicted Wednesday on seven counts of wire fraud and eight counts of identity theft, federal prosecutors said Monday.

Detling was a personal injury attorney. In such cases, financing companies will offer “litigation advances” for people filing lawsuits so they have money for living and medical expenses while going through the legal process.

Detling allegedly used his clients’ personal information, in at least one case a Social Security number, and applied for litigation advances without them knowing, according to his federal indictment.

In all, the feds said, he got 50 such advances totaling about $383,000.

This allegedly all happened between October 2014 through April 2016.

Georgia Bar records indicate Detling was disbarred on Halloween 2016. He settled a damages claim from a car accident without consulting his client. Records show he claimed his daughter was sick and her treatments made him "unable to devote the necessary time to the client matter."

He was admitted to the bar in 2004.

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