TRUTH TELLER

The Cook County Probate Court’s Financial Exploitation of the Elderly Disabled: American Greed at Its Finest.


As a member of a group of volunteers investigating guardianship cases in the Probate Court of Cook County, I am appalled to learn that there are numerous cases of elderly disabled wards who have been financially exploited through the Probate Court system. This exploitation appears to be a well-orchestrated scheme conducted by members of the court (judges, GAL’s, attorneys, and expert nurse witnesses) and owners of for-profit nursing homes and/or guardianship companies.


The details of these guardianship cases we are investigating are appalling:

· cases are unnecessarily prolonged with exorbitant legal fees;

· attorneys pit family members against one another;

· expert nurse witnesses provide false testimony about the condition of the ward;

· false information is submitted into the court record by those who would profit either by prolonging the case or by a change in guardianship (lawyer, GAL’s, or owners of guardianship companies);

· court transcripts are inaccurate or the court transcript gets “lost” by the transcriptionist;

· a new guardian is then appointed who gains financially, while a willing family member is removed as guardian

· the funds are transferred to an OBRA trust, thereby qualifying the ward for public aid;

· the ward is transferred from a beautiful facility to a public aid facility;

· the OBRA trust estate funds are then utilized almost solely for legal and guardianship fees, instead of for the care of the ward;

· often times the public aid nursing homes where these elderly victims of the court are transferred to are owned by someone currently under criminal investigation for placing criminals into his nursing homes;

· family members are subsequently either threatened by attorneys, guardians, GAL’s, and judges to be restricted, or actually are restricted from visiting their loved one (to intimidate them from reporting the criminal activity);

· estates are then entirely depleted by the attorneys, guardianship companies, and nursing home owners.



This is all done under the watchful eye of the judge, thereby making criminal charges against the lawyers, GAL’s, and guardianship owners very difficult. Once the estate is depleted, the ward is turned over to the Office of the Public Guardian, and these exploitative court players go on to find the next victim.


If this has happened to you or a loved one, please report this immediately (see blog titled “Exploitation Tips of the day). Please contact Probate Sharks as well. We are a group of people who are working to protect the elderly disabled in our society from these illegal actions. Your information will be kept confidential. Working together will give us the best chance of stopping this activity, which is American Greed at its Finest.


Signed, TruthTeller