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August 2, 2026
TEXARKANA, Texas — A 62-year-old Texarkana woman is facing a felony theft of service charge in Bowie County after a local attorney told police she reported his legal fees to her credit card company as fraudulent and recovered the money.
Svitlana Romenska Landes is accused of obtaining roughly $8,000 in legal work from Texarkana solo practitioner John Delk in her divorce case, then disputing the charges — including a $5,000 retainer — through her credit card issuer. According to a probable cause affidavit, the reimbursement she received was charged back to Delk.
Landes has not been convicted of anything. The allegations described here come from a sworn affidavit filed by investigators, and she is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Delk began representing Landes in February 2025, the affidavit says. It alleges she became difficult to reach earlier this year, and that in April he learned she had reported his fees as fraudulent charges.
The affidavit alleges the same pattern with two other Texarkana attorneys who worked on the same divorce before Delk, stating that Landes obtained legal services and later disputed the charges through her credit card company.
One of those attorneys is David Glass, another Texarkana solo practitioner who represented Landes earlier in the divorce. Court records show Glass filed a motion to intervene in the divorce case after withdrawing, seeking to recover fees. The second attorney referenced in the affidavit is not named in the charging documents reviewed for this story.
Investigators say Delk turned over detailed billing records documenting his hourly work, along with a signed contract for legal services. Detectives with the Texarkana Texas Police Department handled the investigation.
When police contacted Landes, she said she was dissatisfied with Delk's work and provided emails she had sent to her bank, according to the affidavit. In one, she described herself as a disabled individual being targeted by a group of attorneys.
The affidavit states that Glass and Delk operate separate and distinct law practices — from each other and from the other attorneys who have represented Landes in the divorce. Neither is accused of wrongdoing.
Landes also told her bank she had filed a grievance against Delk with the State Bar of Texas. The affidavit says Delk provided detectives with State Bar documentation showing that grievance was dismissed in May after an investigation cleared him.
Court records indicate Landes has been represented by as many as five different attorneys since the divorce was filed in May 2023. A final decree was entered in April, and Landes filed a notice of appeal in May with an attorney she retained after Delk.
Under Texas Penal Code Section 31.04, theft of service involving $2,500 or more but less than $30,000 is a state jail felony, punishable by 180 days to two years in a state jail and a fine of up to $10,000.
Landes is free on a $5,000 bond. She has not hired an attorney in the criminal case and is represented by the Bowie County Public Defender's Office, which requires applicants to attest they lack the funds to hire counsel. The case is assigned to 102nd District Judge Jeff Addison.
KTYT has sought comment from Landes through the public defender's office. This story will be updated if a response is received.