A former guardian accused of living lavishly while stealing hundreds of thousands from his elderly and disabled clients will ask the court to appoint an attorney to defend him because he can’t afford a lawyer.Jeffrey M. Schend, 44, was charged this month in Outagamie County Court with six felony counts of theft and one misdemeanor count after he was unable to account for about $500,000 in transactions from clients’ accounts.
Schend’s company, JMS Guardianship Services, was hired by Outagamie County in 2004 to serve as a guardian for clients who were unable to handle their affairs.
Schend will appear in court Thursday for an indigency hearing. Gene Bartman, a state public defender, said indigency hearings are scheduled when defendants aren’t eligible for a public defender, but argue they can’t afford to hire an attorney. If an attorney is appointed to represent Schend, Outagamie County would bear the initial cost, but Schend would have to repay the county.
The public defender’s office considers a person’s income, assets and family size, among other factors, when deciding whether a person is eligible for a court-appointed attorney, Bartman said.
Schend’s former employees told police Schend boasted about traveling first class, owning a boat and driving luxury vehicles including a Mercedes-Benz and Cadillac.
Schend is jailed on a $100,000 cash bond and will appear in court June 15 for a preliminary hearing, at which prosecutors will have to show sufficient evidence to maintain the felony charges. The Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services suspended Schend on April 24 from its list of approved guardians.
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Guardian Jeffrey Schend Accused in Theft of Client's Money Says He Can't Afford Attorney
5 comments:
Sell everything he owns!
Right on, Thelma!
Jeffrey Schend deserves to stay in a state cage for the rest of his life he is a threat to society he stashed the money or spent it he doesn't own anything now the taxpayers have more people who are impoverished but they didn't start out that way guardianship did it to them.
All guardianship case files in the state of Wisconsin are closed sealed and that is part of the problem yet the state legislators do nothing to improve the system.
Wisconsin needs to open those records let the sunshine in now!
Closed guadianship records? Isn't that a big red flag to keep everything in secret? What are they thinking? It's 2011 folks game time is over.
I cannot understand how Outagamie County could appoint Mr. Schend as a guardian over anyone. According to WCCA, Mr Schend pleaded guilty to issuing bad checks in 1995, has had several restraining orders against him for domestic abuse,and several DUIs. Was Mr. Schend bonded in order to carry out these guardianships? Who would bond him with a past like his? I know if I had a relative needing a guardian I certainly would not allow someone like him to do it. This never should have happened. I also thought guardians were required to submit annual reports of spending to the probate court. What happened? Maybe whoever appointed him should take responsiblity for this.
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