He called himself the ‘most trusted attorney in town’. But behind the courtroom charm, Christopher Reynolds was secretly draining his injured clients’ settlement money – and blowing it on a staggering mix of luxury purchases, personal indulgences, and a $30,585.60 spree on OnlyFans.
Now, the disgraced Florida attorney, who operated out of Pinellas County, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison, after pleading guilty to multiple counts of grand theft and money laundering for stealing more than $800,000 from clients who had trusted him during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives.
From June 2020 through September 2022, Reynolds treated his law office trust account like a personal ATM.
According to court filings viewed by DailyMail.com, in addition to his OnlyFans spree, he spent approximately $74,154 on Amazon purchases, $24,542 on Uber rides, $164,349 paying off his Capital One account, and an astonishing $397,588 through PayPal – all using funds meant to pay his clients’ medical bills or be returned to them directly.
And he had no issue flaunting his expensive hobbies on social media, posting his collection of several $8,000 Mondraker bikes and personalized merchandise that had ‘Chris Reynolds Law’ emblazoned across the front.
One of those victims was Daniel Beauchesne, 66, who hired Reynolds after another motorist crashed into the back of his car on Route 19 in St. Petersburg.
A friend had recommended the attorney, saying he’d had no issues.
But after months of vague updates and excuses, Beauchesne got a call in early 2023. A friend told him Reynolds had been arrested. Beauchesne would soon learn he was among the victims.
Christopher Reynolds, once a well-regarded personal injury attorney in Pinellas County, Florida, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for stealing over $800,000 from his injured clients
He used the money to fund a lavish lifestyle, including nearly $75,000 on Amazon, $397,000 through PayPal, and over $30,000 on OnlyFans
He painted himself as a picture perfect family man before him and his wife split. Pictured: Reynolds and his family on the cover of Gulf Coast Family Newspaper back in January 2019
‘He never paid the medical bills, never sent me any of the leftover settlement money,’ Beauchesne told the Tampa Bay Times.
In reality, Reynolds had been forging signatures on settlement documents, cutting clients out of their own cases, and rerouting their payouts to himself.
Victims, many of whom were still physically recovering from their accidents, had no idea their claims had even been resolved.
Karen McConnell only discovered Reynolds had settled her case for $100,000 when she contacted AAA Insurance directly. Reynolds kept the full amount.
Another client, identified as D.G., found out through a new attorney that her 2020 car accident case had already been settled, and Reynolds had pocketed two checks totaling $95,000, leaving her with over $5,000 in unpaid medical expenses.
According to an affidavit filed by Detective Cindy Kakalow of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, Reynolds’ grift was exposed after multiple clients filed complaints when he stopped responding to calls and emails.
A deeper investigation revealed a disturbing paper trail of forged documents, misappropriated funds, and a lavish lifestyle he could never have afforded on an honest salary.
By mid-2022, Reynolds had abandoned his Seminole Boulevard law office and stopped paying rent.
His wife, Heather Reynolds, later revealed during their separation that he had admitted to being buried in debt due to mishandling client money.
Reynolds had no issue flaunting his expensive hobbies on social media, posting his collection of several $8,000 Mondraker bikes and personalized merchandise that had ‘Chris Reynolds Law’ across the front.
On April 9, 2025, Judge Philippe Matthey sentenced Reynolds to 15 years in prison with credit for time served, followed by five years of probation.
He was also ordered to repay $716,000 in restitution to 11 parties, including McConnell, Margaret Pearce ($148,750), Eileen Stoner ($140,000), Progressive Insurance, and the Florida Bar’s client reimbursement fund.
Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney Bruce Bartlett said Reynolds’ defense team had sought a reduced sentence, but prosecutors held firm.
‘These people got injured by him,’ Bartlett said. ‘It’s not like he’s ever going to be able to pay anybody back any money.’
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .