Woman Accused Of Stealing From Her Divorce Lawyer In Credit Card Scheme

TEXARKANA, Texas–A woman who allegedly claimed credit card charges were fraudulent for more than $5,000 in legal fees paid to a Texarkana attorney she hired to represent her in a divorce, is facing a theft charge in Bowie County.

Svitlana Romenska Landes, 62, reportedly received about $8,000 in legal services from solo practitioner John Delk in a divorce case, according to a probable cause affidavit. Landes later made a report to her credit card company that charges, including a $5,000 retainer fee, were fraudulent. Landes received a reimbursement that was charged back to Delk.

Delk worked on Landes’ behalf beginning in February 2025. Landes allegedly became difficult for Delk to reach earlier this year and in April, he was informed that she had reported that charges for his legal fees were fraudulent, the affidavit said.

Landes had obtained legal services from two other Texarkana lawyers for the same divorce case before she hired Delk, the affidavit said. Landes allegedly received refunds for payments to those lawyers in the same way, by telling her credit card company the charges were not legitimate.

“Landes has done this chargeback scheme to two other attorneys, with Delk being the most recent,” the probable cause affidavit alleges. “It is evident that Landes is obtaining legal services from attorneys and disputes the charges through her credit card company on a later date.”

Delk provided detailed records to detectives with the Texarkana Texas Police Department outlining the hourly billable work he performed for Landes, as well as a contract for legal services signed by Landes.

Records in the divorce case indicate that Landes has been represented by as many as five different attorneys since the matter was filed in May 2023. Records show that a final decree was entered in the case in April and that Landes filed a notice of appeal in May with the help of a lawyer she brought on after Delk.

When contacted by police, Landes allegedly claimed she was dissatisfied with Delk’s work and provided emails she had sent to her bank, including one with a subject line that said, “Fraudulent invoices by David Glass and John Delk.”

Glass, also a solo practitioner in Texarkana, represented Landes earlier in the divorce case than Delk.

Records in the divorce case show that Glass filed a motion to intervene in the case after he withdrew from representing Landes to recoup legal fees Landes had allegedly claimed were fraudulent in the chargeback scheme.

In the email to her bank that Landes provided to detectives, Landes claimed she is a “disabled individual being targeted by a group of attorneys,” the affidavit said.

Glass and Delk operate separate and distinct law practices from each other and from the other attorneys listed as having represented Landes in her divorce.

Landes also told her bank that she had filed a grievance against Delk with the attorney disciplinary arm of the State Bar of Texas. Delk provided detectives with documentation from the Texas bar showing that Landes’ complaint against him had been dismissed in May after an investigation cleared him of any wrongdoing, the affidavit said.

If convicted of theft of services valued at more than $2,500 but less than $5,000, Landes faces two years to six months in a state jail.

Court records show Landes has not hired an attorney in her criminal case and is being represented by the Bowie County Public Defender’s Office. In order to qualify for services from the public defender, Landes had to attest that she does not have the funds to hire a lawyer on her own.

The criminal case has been assigned to 102nd District Judge Jeff Addison.

Landes is currently free on a $5,000 bond.