April 16,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Paramus NJ, Acting Bergen County Prosecutor Dennis Calo announced the arrest of PAUL A. DYKSTRA (DOB: 02/04/1949; married; and self-employed as an attorney) of 424 Abbott Road, Paramus, NJ on Misapplication of Entrusted Funds and Hindering charges. The arrest is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Financial Crimes Unit under the direction of Chief Robert Anzilotti.
In March 2018, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Financial Crimes Unit received a complaint from a client of Paul A. DYKSTRA, Esq., regarding his failure to disburse to the client approximately $275,000 he received in trust as the result of the sale of real property.
An investigation determined that Paul A. DYKSTRA received the funds into his attorney trust account, and, instead of forwarding them to the client, used them for his own purposes. In an effort to hinder the investigation, Paul A. DYKSTRA provided the client and detectives with false information regarding the transaction and disbursement of funds due to the client.
Paul A. DYKSTRA was arrested on April 10, 2018 in Paramus, NJ and charged with one count of Misapplication of Entrusted Funds, with the amount involved being greater than $75,000, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:21-15, a crime of the 2nd degree; and, one count of Hindering Investigation/Prosecution, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:29-3b, a crime of the 3rd degree. Paul A. DYKSTRA is scheduled for a first appearance in Central Judicial Processing Court in Hackensack, NJ on Wednesday, April 25, 2018 at 9:00 a.m.
Acting Prosecutor Calo states that the charges are merely accusations and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
