A retired Chicago judge has been stripped of his law license after he was accused of stealing more than $240,000 from the uncle of a decorated World War II veteran to buy cryptocurrency.
Patricia Martin admitted to misappropriating trust funds held by her uncle, Oscar Wilkerson Jr., and his power of attorney while the venerable Tuskegee Airman was in the care of a nursing home, according to CBS Chicago.
Martin was terminated by consent, according to court records filed in Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday.
“He knowingly used for his own purposes more than $240,000 that he had agreed to hold for an elderly relative living in a nursing home, making false statements to the doctor holding his relative’s power of attorney about the balance in his bank account and investments. , and did not submit documents in response to ARDC’s subpoena,” said the Lawyers Registration and Court Disciplinary Commission.
Martin served as a Circuit Judge for the Cook County Circuit Court in Illinois for 24 years before his retirement in 2020.
He admitted to stealing Wilkerson’s savings in June.
Oscar Wilkerson Jr. and his power of attorney trusts Martin to handle his finances. US military
“On December 5, 2022, [Martin] filed an answer to the complaint in which he admitted that he had wrongfully assumed control of Mr. Wilkerson’s property,” according to the record.
“He has no authority to use his funds for any purpose other than his benefit and he has deliberately deprived him of funds to which he is entitled.”
Wilkerson’s friend and real power of attorney Dr. Maceo Ellison had entrusted Martin to help manage the finances before he revealed the illegal use.
Martin admitted to using the funds and was later ordered to pay triple the amount he stole from his uncle.casacookcounty.org
The former judge is responsible for taking care of his bank account, 401k, and social security.
Ellison first learned of the fraud when Brookdale Senior Living, the nursing home where Wilkerson lived, contacted her in July 2022, court documents said.
The facility claimed Martin had not paid for Wilkerson’s home care in two months while one of Wilkerson’s bank accounts later showed that “more than $41,000” was owed.
Wilkins is the last surviving member of the Tuskegee Airmen Chicago.taichicago.org
Ellison and Wilkerson hired attorney Eric Puryear to investigate Martin’s handling of the elderly man’s finances and uncover large amounts of missing funds.
Martin admitted that “the evidence would clearly and convincingly establish the facts and inferences of misconduct,” according to the record.
Wilkerson died in February — the day before his 97th birthday — but filed suit against Martin in September 2022.
The state’s law enforcement agency proved the disgraced judge put more than $110,000 into cryptocurrency from his uncle’s money in his name through receipts.
Martin and his attorney argued that he didn’t have to pay money to his uncle’s estate since his uncle died.CBS 2 Chicago
In June, Martin was ordered to pay his uncle’s estate $1.1 million — triple the amount he stole from him — after he repeatedly failed to appear in court and did not respond to court orders, records show.
Martin, however, argued that he did not have to pay the money to his uncle’s estate since his uncle died.
“Plaintiff’s death suspends the court’s jurisdiction in this matter,” his attorney wrote, according to CBS.
Wilkerson died in February 2023 but sued Martin months before his death. 85th Support Command
“If you can’t trust the judge, who can you trust?” Ken Rapier, a friend of Wilkerson, told the outlet. “It really hurts me when someone takes advantage of Tuskegee Air Force.”
Wilkerson grew up in Chicago Heights and left to join the famous civil rights aviators, the Tuskegee Airmen, in 1944.
The civil rights pioneer was one of the first black military pilots to fight for the United States in World War II before returning to Chicago and becoming a radio DJ.
He was the last surviving member of the Tuskegee Airmen in Chicago, according to ABC7.
In 2007, Wilkerson was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by President George W. Bush.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
