Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Guardian Sentenced for Embezzling

A former taxi cab driver who befriended and then embezzled more than $640,000 from a wealthy customer was sentenced to eight years in federal prison. A federal judge also ordered Ringling Dan Cohn to pay $640,820 in restitution.

Authorities said that Cohn befriended Griffith Coombs, worth millions of dollars, and served as his caretaker and guardian until Coombs died in September 2005. Cohn worked as a Yellow Cab taxi driver and had regularly picked up and transported Coombs to various destinations.

In 2004, Cohn moved Coombs out of a skilled nursing home and into his basement. The next year, visiting workers from the Division of Aging discovered that Coombs was dehydrated, confused and living in filthy conditions. They removed Coombs from that home 12 days before he died of natural causes.

Authorities allege that Cohn used his personal and legal guardianship relationship to obtain money and property from Coombs’ trust accounts for his own use.

Source:
Ex-taxi cab driver sentenced for embezzling from wealthy man

See also:
Cabbie gets 8 years for swindling customer

Cab Driver Accused Of Fraud

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Now we're talking -- accountability, yes!

It's a good step. Now we have to get the same attention and accountability for the misconduct of the "professional" and public guardians.

Anonymous said...

In this case, the federal criminal justice system is a shining star in the dirty, dark, secretive underworld of predators and their prey.

I agree that the spot light needs to open the closet door and expose the abusive professional guardians for profit and public guardians and their vulnerable victims, wards of the state who are routinely stripped of their dignity, their basic human rights and all of their money.

Anonymous said...

Oh, yeah! Those guys think they have a "LICENSE TO STEAL"!

We need tougher laws to go after the professional bloodsuckers who enjoy patronage in the courts.

Anonymous said...

This article is a good indicator that anybody, absolutely anybody, can become a guardian with no forethought of ability, compassion, or desire to do the real job.

Our elders must be protected from opportunists like this guy.