New indictment widens crackdown on Metro Detroit probate court system

by Robert Snell

A guardian and a businessman were indicted in a federal case unsealed Oct. 1 and accused of stealing more than $836,000 from incapacitated wards of the court, marking the second major crackdown this year on fraud within the region's probate court system.

The case against Tri-State Guardian Services owner Kijuana Evans and Lonnie Griffin was unsealed nine months after federal prosecutors charged a group that included probate guardian Nancy Juanita Williams and 36th District Judge Andrea Bradley-Baskin. Bradley-Baskin is accused of spending money stolen from elderly and incapacitated people on a dive bar, a luxury car and a ritzy downtown condominium.

In the case unsealed Oct. 1, Evans, 54, of Clinton Township, and Griffin, 57, of Harper Woods, are accused of enriching themselves and associates by embezzling money from the estate of wards during a conspiracy from March 2024 to April 2025. The 13-count indictment charges the duo with wire fraud and money laundering, charges that could send them to prison for more than 30 years.

Both have been arrested and are expected to make initial appearances in federal court in Detroit on Oct. 1.

The case was filed more than one year after The Detroit News obtained sealed court records that revealed an ongoing investigation targeting the judge and others. The News also revealed that FBI agents had searched Evans' home and seized money from related bank accounts.

At the time, Evans denied any wrongdoing.

"I haven't done anything," Evans said.

Griffin owns Key to Life Transport, a firm that works as a third-party contractor in the probate court system. He previously spent 26 years in federal prison for crimes that prompted one judge to call Griffin "a major cocaine trafficker … adept at creating elaborate schemes to conceal funds earned from his drug transactions."

Evans used to work for Williams at Guardian & Associates and took over the firm's cases after Guardian & Associates were suspended from Oakland County Probate and other courts in early 2024. Griffin, meanwhile, provided non-emergency transportation for wards of Tri-State and Guardian.

Prosecutors allege Evans wrote and obtained unauthorized checks from wards' bank accounts.

Evans and Griffin deposited the checks into accounts they controlled, withdrew the stolen money and spent the cash on themselves, according to the government.

From June 2024 through March 2025, Evans took more than $740,000 from one victim, identified in court records as "M.S.," prosecutors allege.

"Evans and Griffin transferred the funds to other accounts, withdrew cash, or made purchases that were not for the benefit of M.S.," the indictment reads.

In July 2025, the duo took more than $87,986 to buy a Ford Transit van, according to the government. The van was titled in Evans' name and used by Griffin's company.

Oakland County Probate Court Chief Judge Jennifer Callaghan, who oversaw cases involving Evans, did not respond to a message or questions Oct. 1.

One of the cases Callaghan oversaw was that of 92-year-old dementia patient Mary Spinney, a former Berkley resident. Her initials and details of her case match the case of the victim "M.S." in the indictment unsealed Oct. 1.

The News reported about Spinney's probate case last year and revealed how her care and finances had become a focus of the FBI during what was at the time an ongoing investigation.

Spinney has big bank accounts and big health problems.

Williams and Guardian & Associates had been her court-appointed guardian since early 2023 after Spinney was found at home suffering from "mental deficiency," according to Oakland County Probate Court records.

Spinney's home was a bungalow along Catalpa Drive in Berkley, west of Woodward and two blocks from the Vinsetta Garage restaurant.

The Berkley home owned by dementia patient Mary Spinney was sold in 2024.

In 2023, the bungalow was worth $309,940 and was one of Spinney's most valuable assets. In all, the estate was worth $1.12 million.

After Williams shuttered her guardianship company, Tri-State Guardian Services was appointed as the new guardian of Mary Spinney in March 2024.

In July 2024, four months after taking over the case, Evans asked a Wayne County probate judge for permission to sell Spinney's home.

Liquidating the home would raise money to pay for Spinney's care, according to the petition.

Evans proposed selling the home for $204,500 in July 2024 despite the market value of the bungalow being $327,080.

Callaghan approved the sale in August 2024.

Evans' firm also was appointed to manage the finances and property of a second victim, referred to as "M.M.," who had been hit by a car. The victim received more than $67,000 in a settlement that was deposited into Tri-State's bank account, according to the government.

"The funds from the two settlement checks for M.M.'s lawsuit that were deposited into Tri-State's Chase bank account were not used for the benefit of M.M.," the indictment reads.

The indictment contains similar allegations as those in the Bradley-Baskin indictment.

In that case, the judge was charged alongside her father, lawyer Avery Bradley of Detroit; Juanita William of Detroit; and Williams' boyfriend, Detroit businessman Dwight Rashad.

Bradley-Baskin was booted off the bench and suspended with pay from her $186,164-a-year job after being indicted. She is accused of helping loot dead people's bank accounts during a conspiracy involving more than $2.9 million.

Prosecutors say she helped her husband acquire a dead person's home and lived a life of luxury in an automotive executive's townhouse after years of financial problems, federal court records show.

The case threatens to strip Bradley-Baskin of her law license and send her to federal prison for 45 years if she is convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, two counts of money laundering and lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: New indictment widens crackdown on Metro Detroit probate court system

Full Article & Source:
New indictment widens crackdown on Metro Detroit probate court system

‘I Was Crushed’: How a Grieving 14-Year-Old Turned Rejection Into a Lifesaving Senior Movement

After losing her grandmother, 14-year-old Jiya Joshi found healing by bringing friendship to seniors

By Bill Holton

Key Takeaways 

• Teen turns personal grief into a statewide movement connecting students with seniors. 
• Young and Old United has mobilized over 500 student volunteers to visit nursing homes. 
• Intergenerational visits bring joy, decrease isolation, and revive cherished history. 

After losing her beloved grandmother, 14-year-old Jiya Joshi decided to volunteer at a nursing home — and it sparked a movement uniting generations through friendship, compassion and caring. Here, she shares her story with Woman’s World. 

After being on hold, Jiya Joshi finally reached the nursing home volunteer coordinator. “I want to volunteer and visit,” she explained. 

The administrator was welcoming until she learned Jiya was only 14. “We don’t allow volunteers under 18,” she declared. “Our staff doesn’t have time to care for both children and our seniors.”

Jiya was crushed, and not just because of the rejection. There was also the lingering grief for her grandmother, “Dadi,” who had passed away that year.

Jiya was only two when her grandparents came from India to help care for her while her parents were at work. Her grandmother, Saroj, drove her to school and cooked up the most delicious snacks they’d share over long conversations about life, school and friends. Even after her grandparents returned to India when Jiya was in the third grade, they spoke on the phone once a week.

But now, at 14, Jiya had lost her Dadi, and the aching void left her lonely. She had her friends and her mom and dad to talk to, but it wasn’t the same. They didn’t have Dadi’s wisdom and gentle kindness.

A heartfelt idea

That’s when the idea struck.

“What if I visit a nursing home? Maybe the residents would enjoy a visit as much as I would?” 

After several more refusals to volunteer, Jiya tried something different. 

“Could I come just once — a trial visit?” she asked Sharon Williams, Activities Director at Houston’s Landon Ridge Assisted Living. “If it doesn’t work, I won’t bother you again.” 

Sharon was touched by the girl’s sincerity. 

“Let’s give it a try,” she said, and Jiya was over the moon. 

Jiya arrived for her first visit with a box of art supplies. She approached a group of seniors in a recreation area, put on a smile and introduced herself. 

“I’m Jiya. Would you like to paint with me?”

“I love painting!” exclaimed a woman named Betty and soon she was regaling Jiya with incredible tales of her years as a nurse in Vietnam. 

After losing her beloved grandmother, 14-year-old Jiya Joshi decided to volunteer at a nursing home — and it sparked a movement uniting generations through friendship, compassion and caring.

Young and Old United has helped spread love and support to hundreds of seniors across Houston.

“I was a pilot fighting the Germans in World War II,” said a second resident, and a third rushed off and returned with a chunk of concrete. 

“You mentioned Germany — this is part of the Berlin Wall — a piece of history,” she explained. 

As word of the youthful stranger spread, residents who rarely left their rooms emerged to see what the excitement was about. By the end of her visit, Jiya had a dozen new friends. 

“I’ve never seen them so active,” Sharon marveled as she helped Jiya pack up. “You’re coming back — right?”

Making memories 

Jiya returned every Saturday that summer. The residents adored having such a lively young person around, and Jiya loved their stories and hugs.

When school started, she invited friends to join her, and several said yes. The teens visited in pairs, and after just a few outings, many told Jiya, “This is the most fun I’ve had volunteering.”

As interest spread, Jiya founded Young and Old United. In two years, more than 500 middle and high school students began making regular nursing home visits across the state. 

“Their eyes light up when they see her coming,” says Sharon.

For Jiya, the benefits flow both ways. 

“Our seniors still have so much to offer,” she insists. “My grandmother taught me that. I can feel her smiling down on me!”

Full Article & Source:
‘I Was Crushed’: How a Grieving 14-Year-Old Turned Rejection Into a Lifesaving Senior Movement 

Man jailed for stealing $16k of mother’s money for ‘hotels and alcohol’

by: Sorina Trauntvein

This report contains mentions of abuse of a vulnerable older adult. If you or a loved one is experiencing neglect or abuse, contact Utah’s hotline to report abuse/neglect of seniors or adults with disabilities at 800-371-7879.

GRANTSVILLE, Utah (ABC4) — A Grantsville man is behind bars after he allegedly spent more than $16,000 of his elderly mother’s money on hotels and alcohol, leaving her unable to afford necessities.

47-year-old Joshua Duane Dean was charged with financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult and theft valued at more than $5,000, both second-degree felonies.

According to court documents, the Grantsville Police Department was contacted on Sept. 27 by the president of a branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grantsville. He reported that an elderly resident had asked the Church for help with paying bills and buying food.

The Relief Society President was helping the woman go over her finances to determine how much funding she would need, and found that a large portion of her money was being spent by her son on “hotels and alcohol.”

This was leaving the victim with only $700 to pay her rent and little or nothing for food and other necessities.

In speaking with police, the woman explained that her son uses her debit card with permission, but not for “spending of that amount or frequency.” The victim provided bank statements for September 2025 through March 2026. 

A Grantsville Police officer made contact with Dean and found he was “gathering his belongings to leave.” He said he overheard the conversation and stated, “I am a piece of sh—,” before admitting to using his mother’s card.

Across the seven bank statements, Grantsville Police found that more than $1,000 was being spent on hotel stays every month, and sometimes over $3,000 in a single month.

• September 2025 — $1,708 on 10 hotel stays
• October 2025 — $1,255 on 15 hotel stays
• November 2025 — $1,914 on 19 hotel stays
• December 2025 — $2,014 on 21 hotel stays
• January 2026 — $2,765 on 15 hotel stays
• February 2026 — $3,098 on 11 hotel stays
• March 2026 — $3,298 on 16 hotel stays

In total, Dean allegedly spent more than $16,000 on 96 hotel stays using his mother’s money.

Police say additional months of financial records have not yet been reviewed, and they could possibly show more theft.

The victim is over the age of 65 and requires assistance with doctor visits, grocery shopping, and managing her finances. Documents say her son used his position of trust to use her funds for personal benefit and leave her unable to buy food and other necessities.

While being transported to the Tooele County Jail, Dean allegedly said he “did not realize it had gotten that bad.” He is being held without bail.

Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. 

Full Article & Source:
Man jailed for stealing $16k of mother’s money for ‘hotels and alcohol’ 

Minnesota AG Keith Ellison charges 9 providers with Medicaid fraud

Author: David Griswold, Lou Raguse

ST PAUL, Minn. — Out of the Miracle Mile Shopping Center in St. Louis Park, therapist Peter Meilahn allegedly began his fraud scheme while working as an independent contractor at Franklin Family Services.

According to a criminal complaint, Meilahn received information from a mother about her seven kids, then billed Medicaid for nearly three years, claiming to provide them psychotherapy services. 

But the mom says they never once saw Meilahn.

"Patients listed in Meilahn's claims told us time and time again that Meilahn did not provide the services he claimed to provide," Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said. "Some said they never had a single session with Meilahn."

Between the Twin Cities and his office in Duluth, Meilahn is accused of submitting 27,400 false claims for services he never provided, fraudulently collecting more than $2.2 million in taxpayer money. The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) said it issued a payment withholding for Meilahn and his company on Aug. 13, 2024, and terminated Medicaid enrollment in January 2026. But he's still listed as having an active therapist license in Oregon.

Meilahn is one of nine people charged with defrauding the Medicaid program out of more than $3 million. According to Ellison's office, the charges were filed by its Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU), which has jurisdiction to investigate Minnesota providers suspected of committing Medicaid fraud.  

“The many charges we are filing today allege various amounts of fraud, but even one dollar stolen in defrauding a government program is too much,” Ellison said in a press release. “It outrages me that some people steal taxpayer money that we as a society have decided should support low-income folks who need specialized services so they can live with dignity, safety, and respect."

Awo Mohamed, of Roseville, is charged with six felony counts of theft after prosecutors say she bilked the Minnesota Medical Assistance program out of more than $675,000 through false claims through her assistant services agency, Always on Time. According to court documents, Mark Johnson, Qalid Hassan and Angela Johnson all conspired with Mohamed and have been charged.

“Medicaid fraud is not only a theft of taxpayer dollars, but a violation of trust that harms those who rely on these vital services,” said Special Agent in Charge Thomas Ethridge of the U.S. DHS Office of Inspector General in a press release. “The coordinated work of our local, state, and federal partners in bringing these charges shows that anyone who exploits Medicaid, whether through multimillion-dollar schemes or by abusing the people they are entrusted to care for, will be held fully accountable."

The Minnesota DHS said it issued a payment withholding for Always on Time and Mohamed on Sept. 7, 2023, and terminated Medicaid enrollment on Sept. 3, 2024. The department said it also terminated AK Care Center, Mohamed's Housing Stabilization Services program, at the same time.

"I applaud the actions announced today by the Attorney General’s Office," said Minnesota DHS Inspector General James Clark in a statement. "Assembling strong cases against perpetrators of fraud takes time, intelligence, resources and close collaboration among many government agencies. When the department found credible evidence of fraud involving businesses at the center of today’s charges, we shut off the money and terminated the providers."

Ellison also announced charges against Kiddjazzmannie Freeman, who is accused of stealing more than $17,000 for services not done, as well as exploiting a vulnerable adult out of $11,000 for personal purposes. Freeman is also charged with failing to provide healthcare and supervision, and allegedly stole the vulnerable adult's identity to obtain an EBT card. 

Michelle Reed and Letrice Spigner, both of Minneapolis, and Chala Alemo, of St. Paul, are accused of reporting services that were never provided. According to the charges, Reed and Spigner said they provided services while clocked in at other jobs. 

"I want everyone to hear this loud and clear: if you commit Medicaid fraud in the state of Minnesota, we will investigate you, we will prosecute," Ellison said during a press conference Tuesday. "We've got more resources and more people power than ever to take these crimes forward." 

Full Article & Source:
Minnesota AG Keith Ellison charges 9 providers with Medicaid fraud 

Clinton caretaker pleads guilty to elder abuse after dependent adult dies malnourished, covered in sores

Source:
Clinton caretaker pleads guilty to elder abuse after dependent adult dies malnourished, covered in sores 

CT has charged as much as $347 per day for prison stays. It can mean having to sell your dead mom’s house.

Tracy DeSenti holds a photo of her late husband Billy DeSenti at her rental home in Hamden on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. After Billy, who spent time in prison for drug, assault and larceny charges, died in 2023, she learned she owed the state of Connecticut more than $232,000 for his prison debt and was forced to sell their house. Credit: Sarah Gordon / CT Mirror

By Ginny Monk | CT Mirror and Andrew Brown | CT Mirror 

When Tracy DeSenti’s husband died in 2023, she was so distraught, she barely got off the couch for weeks. She showered only after her adult sons threatened to spray her with a garden hose.

In the midst of her grief, as she learned to pay bills on her own and returned to work as an addiction counselor, a letter arrived from the state. Connecticut was demanding part of the inheritance she expected to receive from her husband’s estate.

DeSenti, 57, and her husband Billy DeSenti met in 2008, soon after they were released from prison, at a post-incarceration program in New Haven. The two had spent years in prison on a variety of drug and — in Billy’s case — assault and larceny charges that stretched back to the early 1990s, but in the 15 years that followed, they turned their lives around. They found work. They volunteered in their community.

And they bought a house for $266,500 — a 1959 split-level in North Branford where they installed a saltwater pool soon after moving in, a back porch Bill DeSenti rebuilt with teak wood, a charming fireplace in the family room where they put in a “ridiculous leather couch” as a celebration for their accomplishments. DeSenti describes it as the first “fancy” thing she ever bought.

They loved that house, and to them, being home felt like being on vacation, said DeSenti, who was first on her own at 13 and was arrested for the first time as an adult in her 20s.

But now Billy was dead, and the state of Connecticut said he owed $232,733 for room and board during his earlier prison stay. Selling the house where DeSenti now lived alone would help satisfy that debt.

“It felt like we were being punished all over again, despite everything we had just accomplished,” DeSenti told the court in 2024, as she begged to keep the house.

In the end, the state Department of Administrative Services — which serves as the state’s collection agency — successfully argued that DeSenti needed to sell the home she’d lived in for nearly 10 years to satisfy what ultimately amounted to roughly $21,000 of her husband’s debt. Probate court took the property, and DeSenti was then locked out of the house, unable to even finish moving out.

She now lives in a house where the rent is more than double the monthly cost of her old mortgage.

DeSenti’s experience is not unique. She is one of hundreds of Connecticut residents who have had money seized in the last five years through a state law that dates back more than three decades. That law enables the Connecticut Department of Correction to charge a fee for every day a person spends in prison and then collect on that debt in certain situations.

If a formerly incarcerated person wins the lottery, for example, collects an inheritance or receives certain lawsuit settlements, the state can take up to half the money to satisfy the debt.

The same is true in cases where a former prisoner dies and leaves money or other assets to their children, spouses and heirs.

Other states and the federal government have similar laws on the books, commonly referred to as “pay to stay” statutes, but Connecticut’s is one of the harshest, a Connecticut Mirror investigation has found. That’s because the daily cost that Connecticut bills to prisoners is one of the highest in the country. 

Full Article 
CT has charged as much as $347 per day for prison stays. It can mean having to sell your dead mom’s house.

Fatal elder abuse case results in arrest of victim’s son, deputies say

by Will Conybeare

Authorities in the Inland Empire announced on Saturday the arrest of a man in connection with a fatal elder abuse investigation involving his own mother. 

According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, deputies from the Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station began a suspicious death investigation just before 4:30 p.m. on July 27. 

They were dispatched to the scene, the 33000 block of Hidden Hollow Drive in Wildomar, because the coroner’s office reported “suspicious factors” in the death of the victim, 74-year-old Bonnie Thompson. 

The exact circumstances behind those suspicious factors were not disclosed right away.  

The investigation was conducted by the sheriff’s department’s Central Homicide Unit, which reviewed further evidence that led to the arrest of Thompson’s biological son, Justin Tyler Scott, RCSO said.

Justin Tyler Scott as seen in a booking photo provided by the Riverside Co. Sheriff’s Office.

Scott, 52, was taken into custody on Friday and booked into the Cois Byrd Detention Center for murder and elder abuse. 

No further details surrounding the “active and ongoing” investigation were released.  

RCSO asks anyone with information on the case to contact Central Homicide Unit Investigator DiMaggio at 951-955-2777.   

Full Article & Source:
Fatal elder abuse case results in arrest of victim’s son, deputies say

Port St. Lucie woman accused of elder exploitation, including draining $100K from accounts

Barbara Baumgarten also listed as a co-borrower on a $616,550 mortgage, police say 

by Allen Cone

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — A 60-year-old woman was arrested after an investigation by the Port St. Lucie Police Department in alleged exploitation and neglect of an elderly and medically vulnerable man.

Barbara Baumgarten is accused of draining around $100,000 from the 85-year-old man's bank accounts and listed herself as a co-borrower on a $616,550 mortgage.

She is facing felony charges of grand theft from a person 65 years of age or older, exploitation of an elderly person or disabled adult and neglect of an elderly person or disabled adult.

Baumgarten was arrested with help from the U.S. Marshals Task Force.

On Thursday, she was booked at the St. Lucie County Jail and remains there on $310,000 bond. Her first appearance was Friday.

This investigation began on March 18, when an elderly man was found injured on the floor of his Port St. Lucie home by Baumgarten, his caregiver.

The victim initially reported that four men had entered his home and assaulted him.

Surveillance footage showed no one entering or leaving the property, and no signs of forced entry or theft. He provided inconsistent accounts of what occurred.

Detectives determined the victim was experiencing significant cognitive issues.

But detectives continued looking into the victim’s overall well-being and circumstances.

The investigation shifted toward concerns of elder exploitation and neglect, and grew into the months-long investigation documented in a 45-page investigative report.

As the victim’s physical and cognitive health declined, he became increasingly dependent on Baumgarten, investigators found.

They determined that Baumgarten had assumed significant control over the victim’s finances and legal affairs, including power of attorney and healthcare surrogate.

Detectives also learned the victim had been isolated from family and friends, and that changes had been made to his estate documents that benefited Baumgarten.

Records reviewed by detectives showed there was a decline in his financial accounts from $105,971 in March 2023 to approximately $4,897 by April 2026 .

Investigators also uncovered a $616,550 mortgage on Baumgarten’s residence in which the victim was listed as a co-borrower. That is despite the property being solely in Baumgarten’s name and evidence that the victim was reportedly unaware his signature appeared on the mortgage.

Detectives worked with healthcare providers, caregivers, family members, financial institutions and other agencies to establish the full extent of the circumstances surrounding the victim’s care and finances.

The Florida Department of Children and Families ultimately substantiated allegations of exploitation and determined that the victim lacked the capacity to independently make his own decisions.

The victim was removed from Baumgarten’s care, placed under a temporary guardianship, and reunited with his family.

"This case serves as a reminder of the importance of looking beyond the initial circumstances when something does not appear right," the police agency said in a news release. "Through an extensive investigation, detectives were able to uncover concerns involving the care, finances, and well-being of a vulnerable member of our community and ultimately help ensure his safety. 

Full Article & Source:
Port St. Lucie woman accused of elder exploitation, including draining $100K from accounts 

Church Point man wanted, accused of stealing from the elderly

By Matt Phillips

CHURCH POINT, La. (Acadiana News First) - The Church Point Police Department is looking for a man they say extorted money from the elderly.

Killey Lee Menard, 48, is wanted on counts of exploitation of the elderly or persons with infirmities and theft.

Killey Menard(CREDIT: Church Point Police Department)

On Sept. 11, Church Point police learned Menard had extorted money from an elderly person. Warrants were obtained for his arrest on the counts listed above.

Menard’s last known address is Osage Trail Road in Church Point, police said. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to contact Church Point police at 337-684-5455 or local law enforcement. 

Full Article & Source:
Church Point man wanted, accused of stealing from the elderly