DETROIT — Four Charged in Alleged Scheme to Embezzle Funds From Incapacitated Individuals

Four Detroit-area residents — including a sitting district court judge and a local attorney — have been charged for their alleged roles in a years-long scheme to embezzle money from incapacitated individuals, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. announced today.

The announcement was made alongside Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office, and Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Detroit Field Office.

Those charged are Nancy Williams, 59; Avery Bradley, 72; Andrea Bradley-Baskin, 46; and Dwight Rashad, 69, all of Detroit. Each was charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The indictment also charges:

• Avery Bradley with one count of wire fraud
• Bradley, Bradley-Baskin, and Rashad with multiple counts of money laundering
• Bradley-Baskin with one count of making a false statement to federal law enforcement

According to the indictment, probate courts appoint guardians and conservators to manage the personal and financial affairs of adults deemed unable to do so themselves. These fiduciaries are legally required to act in the best interests of their wards.

The indictment alleges Nancy Williams owned Guardian and Associates, an agency appointed by the Wayne County Probate Court to serve as fiduciary for incapacitated wards in more than 1,000 cases. Avery Bradley, an attorney, and his daughter Andrea Bradley-Baskin, also an attorney, operated a law firm that regularly represented Guardian and Associates in Wayne County Probate Court. Bradley-Baskin is currently a judge on Michigan’s 36th District Court. Dwight Rashad operated multiple group homes and residential facilities for elderly individuals, including wards.

Prosecutors allege the defendants conspired to systematically embezzle funds from wards and their estates for personal gain. The indictment outlines numerous examples, including:

• Allegations that Bradley-Baskin used approximately $70,000 in ward funds to purchase an ownership stake in a local bar
• Allegations that Bradley, Williams, and Rashad misappropriated approximately $203,000 from a ward’s legal settlement without benefiting the ward
• Allegations that Williams paid Rashad rent for wards who did not reside in his facilities
• Allegations that Bradley-Baskin used ward estate funds to pay a two-year lease on a Ford Expedition

“We respect the authority that comes with a black robe,” said U.S. Attorney Gorgon. “This state judge and her alleged co-conspirators abused that honor by preying on individuals protected by the court. This would represent a grievous breach of public trust.”

“Regardless of position or status, no one is above the law,” said FBI SAC Jennifer Runyan. “These defendants are accused of exploiting vulnerable citizens who depended on them for care and protection. If you prey on the vulnerable, we will find you and hold you accountable.”

IRS-CI SAC Karen Wingerd added, “What makes these allegations particularly disturbing is that the victims were among our most vulnerable populations and trusted the accused to act in their best interests.”

Anyone with information regarding wards associated with Guardian & Associates or Tri-State Guardian Services is encouraged to contact the FBI. https://forms.fbi.gov/victims/DEwards/view

An indictment is a formal accusation and not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The case is being investigated by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert A. Moran and John Neal.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmi/pr/sitting-judge-and-three-others-charged-scheme-steal-hundreds-thousands-dollars

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