WARSAW — A local attorney facing eight felony charges is seeking a jury trial.  

Charges were filed against Scott Lennox, 50, Warsaw, in April, after he was accused of stealing funds from the law firm he worked for.

Lennox has been charged with two counts of fraud on a financial institution, both level 5 felonies; and six counts of theft, all level 6 felonies.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, on Nov. 27, 2018, an officer with the Warsaw Police Department met with Attorney Matthew Buehler, one of the partners at Lennox, Sobek and Buehler, LLC. Buehler told police that Lennox had illegally taken money from three trust accounts and from the business operating account of the firm.

The charging documents state that on Dec. 21, 2017, the law firm opened an IOLTA trust account with Lake City Bank. An IOLTA account is a trust account for attorneys for the short-term holding of client funds not yet earned or disbursed. 

On Oct. 30, 2018, Buehler discovered that Lennox was withdrawing money from the trust account for personal use. Lennox was removed from the trust account on Nov. 15, 2018.

A pre-trial conference was held Friday, Aug. 9, but an agreement was unable to be reached between the parties. Lennox’s attorney, Alexander L. Hoover, then filed a motion to set a jury trial, according to court paperwork.