Probe finds state counselors written into elderly veterans’ wills

 Editor’s note: How much different was this criminality than that of the lawyers and judges of the Probate Court of Cook County v. Alice R. Gore? As long as the Kawamotos and Solos of the world and their clones control the probate system, this injustice will continue.   Lucius Verenus, Schoolmaster, ProbateSharks.com

 

Probe finds state counselors written into elderly veterans’ wills

By Al Vaughters, News 4 Reporter Published: August 12, 2014, 8:14 pm Updated: August 12, 2014, 8:30 pm

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BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – State veterans counselors who received personal windfalls from their clients, including a BMW as a gift, touched off an investigation by the Inspector General for the State Division of Veterans Affairs.
The investigation found “ethical lapses” by two counselors – Tracy Kinn, a well known counselor for Veterans Affairs, who works from an office at Hamburg Town Hall, and Pamela Tanner, a counselor based near Syracuse.
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The Inspector General’s report reveals Kinn’s relationship with an elderly World War II veteran led to the man giving her his late model BMW, worth $23,000. He also opened a joint bank account with Kinn, using his money, to cover his personal affairs, but Kinn also used money from the account to pay some of her own expenses, amounting to at least $2,500.
State VA officials counseled Kinn about a possible conflict of interest, but Kinn pointed out she and the veteran were old friends.
The relationship between Kinn and the elderly veteran was under such intense scrutiny by the State VA, that the veteran told the state to back off, because he considered Kinn a trusted friend.
Rather than jeopardize his relationship with Kinn, the veteran turned away from the state agency for help with his veterans issues.
The Inspector General found further that the veteran chose Kinn as the primary beneficiary of his last will and testament, and upon his death, Kinn inherited the veteran’s house, stocks, and other assets.
A challenge to the will by the veteran’s family was settled out of court, but the will stayed intact.
In the wake of these findings, the Division of Veterans Affairs is re-writing its ethics policies, and the Inspector General’s report is being reviewed by the state Joint Commission on Public Ethics.
Kinn was not available to comment on this report.