by Todd J. Stein
A man and his estranged father are reunited and pulled into a struggle with the father's mob-connected wife and her family. Confronting a corrupt order of guardianship, they find a way to heal old wounds and face the fight together...Coming Soon!
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THE FINAL FIGHT Official Trailer, Inspired by a True Story
By Mark Lim
Sheila and Norman Greenberg, aged 85 and 97, respectively, claim that between late 2020 and mid‑2021, they were persuaded to invest more than $2 million** in gold coins through Rosland Capital, where von Detten worked as a representative. According to their filing, the coins they purchased were worth far less than they paid, with losses exceeding **$900,000 from their retirement savings. The suit further alleges financial elder abuse, asserting that the defendants “knew or should have known” their actions would harm the couple and that they “wrongfully took” the substantial difference between market value and the price charged.
The Greenbergs say they first reached out to Rosland Capital in 2020 after seeing the firm’s television commercials and becoming interested in opening a gold Individual Retirement Account (IRA). They were connected to von Detten, who, the complaint states, “explained that he was very knowledgeable in precious metals and precious metal IRA accounts and would make very specific recommendations that meet the Greenbergs’ needs, i.e., asset protection.” He reportedly encouraged the couple to “just leave the decision-making up to him,” assuring them he would guide them through rolling over funds from their existing retirement accounts into gold‑backed investments.
Relying on those assurances, the Greenbergs authorized three separate purchases of hundreds of gold coins between October 2020 and August 2021. Crucially, they never took physical possession of the coins; instead, the items were sent directly to a third‑party storage facility in Delaware. The couple continued paying ongoing administrative and storage fees to maintain the accounts, believing their savings were secure.
The lawsuit alleges the coins “had virtually no value in excess of the then‑market value of the gold contained in the coins,” meaning the premiums charged were unjustified and far exceeded standard pricing. “Instead of helping them protect their hard‑earned wealth, Defendants helped themselves to it,” the complaint states.
The Greenbergs remained unaware of the alleged disparity until 2025, when they began independently reviewing their investments and discovered what they describe as significant overcharging. By that point, hundreds of thousands of dollars were gone. “They were entirely unaware that they had been fleeced,” the filing notes. The delay in realisation underscores one of the challenges with alternative investments stored off‑site: without regular independent valuation, losses can accumulate unseen.
For von Detten, 44, the case marks a striking turn in a life that began in the spotlight. He rose to fame as a child star in the 1990s, appearing in All I Want for Christmas, Leave It to Beaver, and opposite Anne Hathaway in The Princess Diaries. He voiced Sid the sloth in the Toy Story films, stepping largely away from acting after 2010’s Toy Story 3, with only a single 2024 television movie credit since. His move into the financial sector drew little public attention until now.
Central to the Greenbergs’ argument is the assertion that the defendants knew or should have known the pricing was improper. The lawsuit alleges that von Detten and Rosland Capital “appropriated no less than $900,000” through excessive markups and commissions, with the additional charge of financial elder abuse, a serious legal designation that recognises heightened vulnerability and the exploitation of trust. If proven, it could result in significantly higher damage awards.
The Greenbergs are asking the court to award them at least $900,000 in compensatory damages, plus additional amounts to be determined at trial potentially including punitive damages. A case management conference is scheduled for November 9, and as of this report, neither von Detten nor Rosland Capital has filed a formal response to the allegations in court.
Representatives for von Detten did not respond to requests for comment; Rosland Capital issued a brief statement on July 2 but has not publicly addressed the specific claims. The legal process will now determine whether the couple’s allegations hold up and whether von Detten’s transition from beloved family‑film face to financial advisor carried professional obligations that were not honoured.
For now, the case stands as a cautionary tale: even familiar names and reassuring advertisements do not replace independent verification. And for two people in their ninth and tenth decades, the search for security has instead become a fight to recover what was meant to last a lifetime.
Full Article & Source:
From Child Star to Courtroom: Erik von Detten Faces Elder Financial Abuse Lawsuit
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by Matt Flener
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Michelle Anaya is fighting to free her brother, Jeffrey Fitzgearlds, and bring him closer to home.
Anaya has spent years advocating for her brother, who has been under the state of Missouri's care as a ward of the state for nearly two decades.
"I've always been fighting for him, like even in school," Anaya said. "When he'd get teased, I'd fight the other kids."
Jeffrey is one of more than 11,000 people in Missouri living under the state's public guardianship system.
Jeffrey became a ward of the state after doctors recommended professional guardianship to his parents due to his mental illness and behavioral struggles. Now, Anaya is seeking to take over his care following the passing of their parents. She currently sees him during supervised visits at the Southeast Missouri Mental Health Center, located five hours away from Kansas City.
"My brother has been institutionalized for nearly 20 years," Anaya said. "I can literally see my life changing and evolving and growing. And his, it's stagnant. It's in a standstill."
Anaya has asked the court multiple times to allow her to assume guardianship from Alexa Summit, the Clay County public administrator, who oversees Jeffrey's care along with her deputies under judicial oversight. Summit's attorney, citing confidentiality, declined to comment on specific cases.
"While I appreciate the opportunity to respond, we must respect the confidentiality of the individuals whom the Public Administrator's office is tasked to serve as guardian and conservator for," said attorney Paemon Aramjoo, who represents the Clay County public administrator.
Anaya said it is often difficult to get answers from the Clay County public administrator's office regarding Jeffrey's care and her proposal to take over his guardianship. She has also spoken publicly, advocating for more oversight of the office.
She and other advocates lobbied Clay County's constitutional review committee earlier this year to push for more oversight of the Clay County public administrator's office, but ultimately, those changes did not happen.
Advocates across Missouri have echoed similar concerns, saying it is often challenging to get information from public administrators without going through the court system. KMBC 9 Investigates and the U.S. Department of Justice have highlighted issues within Missouri's public guardianship system, where thousands of wards live in nursing homes due to a lack of alternative placements.
KMBC is investigating ways to systemically improve the care of those under guardianship through a series of stories called Paper Prisons. The stories highlight people struggling to navigate a tangled system of legal paperwork, medical records and court orders. KMBC is also seeking answers, perspective and context from those in charge of keeping wards of the state in their care for their recommendations on how to improve the system. Often, those tasked with caring for wards of the state say they do not have enough resources or treatment facilities close to the person's home.
Public administrators have reported growing caseloads and have asked state lawmakers for increased funding and improved laws to better care for Missouri's most vulnerable residents.
Meanwhile, Anaya will keep fighting to bring her brother home.
"He needs natural connection. He needs family," Anaya said. "That's how people feel connected. That's how they have security."
If you know of someone going through struggles with Missouri's public guardianship system, or if you have a case to highlight that explores solutions for Missouri's public guardianship system that could teach lessons to others, please email investigates@kmbc.com.
Full Article & Source:
PAPER PRISONS: Missouri woman fights to bring brother home from public guardianship system
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Court rules account gains do not defeat the financial elder abuse claim, reverses the trial court's 2010 cutoff, and holds that claims involving alleged tax and estate-planning advice cannot be dismissed as a matter of law
In Adam DeVone et al. v. Morgan Stanley & Co., LLC et al., the Second Appellate District, Division Three, reversed the judgment in every respect but one. The case involves the estate of Maurice Voce, a barber and self-taught investor who died in 2012 at age 93. According to the opinion, Voce began trading options with Morgan Stanley's predecessor firm in the 1980s, and Privitelli took over his accounts in the 1990s, when Voce was age 74, and worked with him continuously until June 2012, communicating with him "pretty much daily," according to evidence the court cited.
The Full Relationship Is Back in the Case
The trial court found the lawsuit timely, then ruled that no conduct before September 11, 2010 could support liability or damages. The Court of Appeal held that was error. Once a claim is timely, the court explained, the plaintiff is "entitled to seek recovery for the full course of the wrongful conduct underlying that cause of action," and the statute of limitations does not "operate to constrain the scope of actionable conduct."
The court also rejected the defendants' alternative argument under the continuous accrual doctrine. Describing the doctrine generally, the court noted that it is designed to operate in a plaintiff's favor, and that the defendants' attempt to use it to confine the conduct for which plaintiffs may recover "inverts its purpose." The court held that disputed questions about when the plaintiffs knew or should have known of their claims are for the jury to decide.
In reviewing the elder abuse claim, the Court of Appeal described trial evidence reaching well before the 2010 cutoff. According to the opinion, in 1998, when Voce was 79, Morgan Stanley sent him a letter memorializing restrictions limiting his account to a covered-call strategy and capping his uncovered options positions, and a 1999 internal Morgan Stanley communication referred to reining in uncovered options because of his age while making an exception for Privitelli's branch. The court also described evidence of a February 2009 margin call after the account had fallen by nearly half over the prior year, and a roughly $900,000 loan the trusts obtained to pay off the margin debt.
Plaintiffs contend the 2010 cutoff removed most of the relationship from the case. Based on plaintiffs' analysis of the account records, Voce's accounts reflected approximately 30,690 trades and approximately $2.0 million in trading costs from 1993 to 2012, roughly 98 percent of which predate September 2010. The Court of Appeal noted plaintiffs' expert testimony that options positions expire and are generally replaced, with each replacement generating a new commission.
Account Gains Do Not Defeat the Elder Abuse Claim
The trial court dismissed the elder abuse claim after finding that "the account only grew in value," and the defendants pointed to approximately $4.2 million in net gains from 2010 to 2012. The Court of Appeal held that was error. California's Elder Abuse Act asks what a defendant "knew or should have known" at the time of the conduct, not only how the trades turned out. "Under the Elder Abuse Act, a defendant who exposes an elder to a foreseeable risk of harm does not escape liability merely because the risk did not materialize," the court wrote. The court also held that proof of a wrongful taking under the Act does not require evidence of a net financial loss.
The court described evidence that Privitelli received a December 2010 email from the family describing Voce's memory lapses, disorientation and declining health, and that Privitelli testified he was "on notice" of Voce's cognitive impairment in early 2011 and executed trades on Voce's instructions during that period. Asked at trial whether those reports should have been escalated to risk management or a supervisor, Privitelli answered, "Sure. It should have been." The court also noted testimony that Morgan Stanley had the right to revoke the trading authorization at any time, and held that a jury could weigh the firm's decision not to do so.
Claims Involving Alleged Tax and Estate-Planning Advice Are Revived
The trial court had also barred claims over alleged tax and estate-planning advice because the defendants were not hired or paid to give it. The Court of Appeal held that the scope of a broker's fiduciary duty depends on the facts of the relationship as a whole, including its duration and any advice actually given, not solely on the terms of a formal engagement. The court cited evidence of Privitelli's near-daily contact with Voce over the relationship, his Certified Financial Planner designation, and evidence that he told the trusts' estate planning attorney he had advised Voce on the tax treatment of certain gifts. Plaintiffs allege that tax advice resulted in approximately $640,000 in interest and penalties, and that related advice led to a split-dollar life insurance policy and costs exceeding $700,000.
"The defendants asked the courts to judge this case by the account balance, and the Court of Appeal disagreed," said Brandon S. Reif, of Reif Law Group, P.C., counsel for the plaintiffs. "The Elder Abuse Act asks what a financial professional knew or should have known at the time. The trial court's cutoff excluded, by our count, roughly 98 percent of the trading in this account. The Court of Appeal restored that history, and we look forward to presenting the full record to a jury."
"When a family raises concerns about an older client's cognitive decline, those concerns deserve serious attention," Reif added. "In our view, a profitable account is not a license to ignore reported concerns of mental decline due to a client aging."
The court affirmed dismissal of one theory, a breach of fiduciary duty claim based on excessive trading, and reversed the judgment in all other respects. The court emphasized that its ruling does not compel a finding of liability. The allegations have not been proven, and the defendants dispute them. The case returns to the Los Angeles County Superior Court for a new trial.
Case: Adam DeVone et al. v. Morgan Stanley & Co., LLC et al., California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, Division Three, Case No. B339219. Opinion filed October 8, 2026.
"Pennsylvania seniors helped build our communities, worked our mills and mines, and served our country, and they deserve to stay connected," said McCormick. "Today's hearing is about finding practical ways to reach isolated seniors and ensuring local organizations across Pennsylvania have the support they need to help."
Pennsylvania is home to more than 2.5 million residents age 65 and older, and that population continues to grow. For many seniors, losing a spouse, living far from family, or no longer being able to drive can make it harder to stay connected. Social isolation is not just a quality-of-life issue; it can have serious consequences for older Americans' health and well-being.
"I've always believed in the importance of connecting forgotten communities and making sure they aren't left behind. That includes our aging neighbors and the often unaddressed needs they have," said Senator Fetterman. "Hearing that Meals on Wheels might be the only human contact older folks have that week is alarming. Social isolation and loneliness are serious issues, and I'm grateful for the witnesses' testimony today and understanding how we can better serve the community."
The hearing featured four experts in aging services and research, representing Allegheny County, Penn State, the Jewish Healthcare Foundation, and Meals on Wheels of Lancaster.
Witnesses discussed how the Older Americans Act can better support meal delivery, senior centers, transportation, and other services that help seniors stay connected. Pennsylvania receives approximately $45 million annually through the Act. Senator McCormick cosponsored its bipartisan reauthorization, which passed the Senate unanimously in July.
Full Article & Source:
Senators part of hearing on isolation
Taylor pleaded guilty to two counts of financial exploitation and two counts of theft by deception. The charges stemmed from a scheme in which Taylor fabricated a fictitious legal case and created false correspondence purportedly from attorneys, a prosecutor, and the Chief Justice of the United States. He used the fabricated documents to persuade family members to provide money, promising that the funds would be reimbursed.
“Financial exploitation can have devastating consequences, particularly when someone abuses the trust of family members who believe they are helping a loved one,” said Attorney General Formella. “Protecting older adults from fraud and financial abuse is an important responsibility of this office. We will continue to hold those who exploit vulnerable adults accountable under the law.”
The court sentenced Taylor to 2½ to 5 years, stand committed, on the financial exploitation charges, and 7½ to 15 years, all suspended, on the theft by deception charges. As a condition of his suspended sentences, Taylor is prohibited from working with or serving as a fiduciary for any elderly, disabled, or impaired adult. The court also ordered Taylor to pay a total of $260,048.69 in restitution to the victims.
The case was prosecuted by the New Hampshire Department of Justice Elder Abuse and Financial Exploitation Unit and investigated in conjunction with the Hudson and Pelham Police Departments.
Anyone who believes they or a loved one may be the victim of elder abuse or financial exploitation should contact local law enforcement, the Bureau of Adult and Aging Services (www.nheasy.nh.gov), and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (www.ic3.gov) and report the incident promptly. Quick reporting may improve the chances of recovering stolen funds and prevent additional victimization.
Source:
Jason Taylor Sentenced for Financially Exploiting Family Members
by Jared Bush
Michael McLin of Grain Valley pleaded guilty on Thursday, Oct. 29, to fraudulent use of a credit/debit card device. All his other charges were dismissed. He was sentenced to three years in prison.
He was charged in April 2025 with financial exploitation of the elderly, a class A felony, and stealing, a class C felony.
According to court documents, McLin and his girlfriend moved into his mother’s house in 2021 or 2022.
In June 2022, court records say McLin began withdrawing money from his mother’s bank accounts without her knowledge or permission after adding his name to them without her knowledge.
This continued until 2024, when his mother discovered $160,000 missing from her bank accounts. His mother then closed the bank accounts and opened new ones so that McLin no longer had access to them.
McLin’s mother moved out of her home in June 2024 to live with her grandson and his wife. Eviction notices were put on the home in order to McLin and his girlfriend to leave.
After bank records were reviewed, it was determined that McLin stole a total of $230,319.77 from his mother’s two bank accounts. He also used her Discover Credit Card to spend nearly $10,000 without her permission.
In total, McLin stole $240,075.58.
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Missouri man sentenced after stealing $240K from elderly mother
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LINN COUNTY, Iowa (KCRG) - A Center Point couple is accused of stealing more than $93,000 from one of their grandmothers.
Aarika and Richard Ortega are both charged with theft and financial exploitation of an older person, money laundering and credit card fraud.
A criminal complaint says Aarika became her grandmother’s guardian in November of 2025.
By March, she had put her grandmother in assisted living and transferred $25,000 out of her account as a “wage” for taking care of her.
The Linn County Sheriff’s Office says they continued to take from the account. Charges included a new dirt bike and pickup truck, repairing a four-wheeler and a trip to a St. Louis Cardinals game, among other charges.
Both are being held at the Linn County Jail.
Full Article & Source:
Center Point couple accused of stealing $93K from grandparent
In 2023, Leonard obtained power of attorney over an elderly man, with whom he’d been close for many years, who was at that time suffering from dementia. It is alleged that Leonard soon after sold off assets belonging to the man and took more than $100,000 from his bank accounts. Leonard allegedly created and filed with the probate court false receipts to justify the stolen sums.
“Power of attorney is a significant legal authority one person can grant to another in a time of need, but it is not a license to steal,” said Attorney General Nessel. “Vulnerable and elderly Michigan residents often must rely on a trusted relative or friend to help manage their finances or other affairs. When that trust and legal privilege is abused, my office will act to hold unscrupulous actors accountable.”
Leonard is charged with:
Leonard will next appear before Judge Tara S. Hovey in the 55th Circuit Court in Clare County.
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Please note: For all criminal proceedings, a criminal charge is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The Department does not provide booking photos.
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On October 20, Wells Fargo released a study of affluent families that every parent with an estate plan should read.
Based on a survey of 800 Baby Boomers and 800 Gen X or Millennial children, the researchers found that 61% of adult children said inheritance had already caused problems in their families, from hurt feelings and arguments over fairness to estrangement and legal disputes. Only 29% of older parents said the same. Among the adult children, 49% believed inheritance conversations have the potential to trigger family conflict—which is one reason so many people avoid having them.
My book, Unspeakable, came out the same day as the survey, and that data provided an illustration of the book’s core idea in the book: Many families are avoiding conversations because they’re afraid of discomfort, even if this avoidance can cause harm. Estate planning is just one of the topics I cover in Unspeakable, but as I’ve traveled to give talks and answer questions about the book, it’s one that’s coming up most frequently.
In my work advising family businesses, I see this avoidance in various forms. In many cases, older parents hire my firm to help them inform their children about their estate plans. This is complicated work, but I find it fulfilling because I believe that in most cases, relationships become better when financial secrets are brought out into the open.
To help illustrate this, let me tell you about my work with a couple I’ll call Jose and Natalia.
Born and raised in Latin America, Jose was educated as an accountant and worked for investment banks before founding a wildly successful private equity firm. The couple, who now live in San Francisco and are in their eighties, have built substantial wealth. Their assets total over $1 billion.
They have four children in their fifties, all well-educated and financially independent. Years ago the parents gave each child a significant gift—about $25 million each. The family had never discussed the provisions of Jose and Natalia’s will, but the children have always assumed they would inherit most of the estate when the parents die.
Here’s the secret: They won’t. The children will be given lifetime use of the family’s home, which are to be placed in a trust with maintenance funds. But everything else will be used to fund a charitable foundation devoted to mental health and education programs, run by an outside adviser. Decisions will be guided by their eleven grandchildren, now in their twenties—who had no idea they’ll inherit this responsibility. Additionally, Jose has chosen his longtime executive assistant to vote his company shares going forward and has left her a substantial bequest—about $10 million at his death and $1 million a year thereafter.
Although very few families have this kind of wealth, many take the same secretive approach to estate planning. Children are afraid to ask about wills because they don’t want to appear greedy. Parents are reluctant to talk about them because they’re afraid the children will be disappointed. Neither party wants to initiate a conversation that’s bound to feel morbid.
Yet these conversations are becoming more urgent as older generations prepare to pass on enormous amounts of wealth. UBS’s 2025 Global Wealth Report estimates that more than $83 trillion will change hands worldwide over the next 20 to 25 years, passing between spouses and down to children. A 2025 Fidelity survey of U.S. parents age 55 and older with at least $500,000 in investable assets found that 70 percent had a will or estate plan, but 68 percent hadn’t shared inheritance details with their children. The silence risks leaving heirs unprepared for the responsibilities they’ll inherit with those assets—and the lack of transparency can also imperil relationships.
Jose was torn about how open to be with his family about estate planning. “I know at least one of my children will have a real problem with [my plan], and I don’t feel like dealing with the conflict,” Jose told me. (To protect client confidentiality, in addition to using pseudonyms, I’ve changed several other identifying biographical details in describing his family.) Over many months I tried to convince them to have a more open and candid conversation with their children about their plans. Here’s a condensed version of the points I made:
Even as I made these arguments, I was sympathetic to their viewpoint. In my own family, we haven’t always been direct about what we wish to happen when we die. When my grandparents died, we knew they wanted to be cremated, but we’d never discussed what they hoped we’d do with the ashes—so their remains sat in a closet in my home for seven years. (We eventually scattered their ashes in the places we thought each of them would’ve picked.) When my father died, I had no clue what was in his estate plan or where he wanted to be buried. His secrecy added stress on top of the grief I felt, and it’s part of the reason why, in both my work and my personal life, I urge people to communicate openly about their final wishes.
I see evidence of our reluctance to deal with death planning in other areas of my professional life. I’m a faculty member at Harvard Business School, and most of the MBA students I teach are in their late twenties. Each fall I teach a class on family enterprises that touches on estate planning, and during the first meeting I ask a simple question: “How many of you have a will?” Around five percent of the students raise their hands. Then I ask a follow-up question: “How many of you have children?” About 20 percent raise their hands. That always blows my mind. If you have a child but don’t have a will with guardianship provisions, you’re allowing the state to decide who will raise your children if you and your spouse die. Students who get into HBS are hyper-responsible rule-followers, and it’s telling that so many of them have skipped over estate planning—which I consider an integral part of being an adult.
According to Gallup, in 2020 just 46 percent of Americans had a will in place. The numbers were higher for older, more affluent, and white people, with just 28 percent of nonwhite adults and 20 percent of people under thirty reporting they have an estate plan in place. I sometimes meet young married couples who have a prenuptial agreement but no wills. As I tell them, “So you have a plan in case you divorce, which you hope won’t happen, but you don’t have a plan for what happens when you die, which is guaranteed to happen?” That combination is irrational, but it’s not unusual when you mix the topics of money and death.
Even realists who recognize their mortality tend to avoid talking about it because death is a downer. Additionally, many of us don’t like talking about money under any circumstance—in many families, the subject is taboo—and estate planning invariably involves money. Finally, there’s a fundamental misconception that estate planning is an expensive process that’s necessary only for older and wealthier people. This view is completely wrong. If you own anything of value or have taken on debt, you should have a will. If you have pets, you need a will to spell out who becomes responsible. Ideally, young people should get a simple will as soon as they reach the age of eighteen. Many states have made it nearly automatic for people to register to vote or become organ donors when they get their driver’s license, and in a perfect world, creating a simple will would become part of the process too.
I’m not a lawyer, and I don’t help people construct the legal documents that are the end result of estate planning. Instead, I urge them to communicate more openly about the process. Here are the general points I make in my teaching and advisory work on this:
I put that advice into practice when Jose, Natalia, and I met with their four adult children in 2025 to bring their estate plan out into the open. We met over two days, for a total of sixteen hours, at the family’s home. Going into the meeting, I’d expected the children to react negatively to the revelation that they would inherit no additional money—and they did. In fact, their emotional reactions dominated the meetings. Natalia and her daughters cried. The sons each periodically walked out to cool off. We’d planned a group dinner at the end of the first day, but the sons refused to attend.
The children were incensed that their parents made such important decisions without their input. They were hurt by the sharp constraints the parents put on how involved the children could be in the new foundation (reserving the bigger roles for younger grandchildren). They suspected Jose’s assistant had manipulated him into giving her such an influential role. They decried their parents as “sneaky” for having carried this secret around for years. Even the provision that left the family’s homes to the children struck them as manipulative; in their view, by forcing them to share the homes, the parents were trying to coerce the children to spend time together after their death.
Jose and Natalia left the meeting with mixed emotions. They were disappointed in the children’s reactions—in particular, that they seemed unappreciative of the $25 million gift each had already received. They were disappointed that instead of accepting the news, the children focused on revisiting the decisions, repeatedly asking, “Is this really final?”
At the same time, both Jose and Natalia felt an overwhelming sense of relief to have their estate plan finally out in the open. If Jose dies before Natalia, she will no longer be left to explain these choices by herself. Now that the family understands that most of the assets will go to a foundation that will largely be controlled by the grandchildren, everyone involved can begin training the young people for their new roles.
Like many of the situations I face with complex estates, this one doesn’t contain a “happily ever after,” but it does qualify as “better than it was before.” And I have hope that the family will heal because everyone is still alive to discuss the decisions that the parents have made.
How families handle this affects more than the people named in the will. Cerulli Associates estimates that $124 trillion will change hands in the U.S. through 2048, and much of it sits inside family businesses that employ people and support their communities. In the new Wells Fargo study, among a subset of respondents whose families own businesses, two-thirds of business owners’ adult children expected the company to pass to them or their siblings, but fewer than one in five owners actually planned to do that. Most expected to sell the business or wind it down instead of passing it on to their families. That’s a 48-point gap between what parents are planning and what their children are counting on, and in many families, nobody has said it out loud. When that kind of surprise comes out after a death, it can lead to lawsuits and rushed sales, and employees end up paying for a conversation that never happened. That’s why I’d like to see more parents start these conversations while they can still explain their choices, and more children feel free to ask one simple question: “What is my responsibility?”
The opinions expressed in Fortune.com commentary pieces are solely the views of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of Fortune.
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Senate Bill 807, known as Alice’s Law, would establish the registry as an additional safeguard to help prevent individuals who abuse older adults from moving between caregiving positions. Senate Bill 1415 which builds on the same initiative, would increase penalties for certain abuse, neglect and institutional sexual assault offenses against care-dependent people.
“Senate passage of these bills is an important step toward strengthening protections for people who depend on others for care,” Culver said. “Families deserve confidence that their loved ones will be treated with dignity and that those who harm them will be held properly accountable. I appreciate my colleagues’ support and Lynn Fiedler’s continued advocacy in her mother’s memory.”
Alice’s Law is named in memory of Alice Longenberger, who endured abuse while receiving care at a facility. Her daughter, Lynn Fiedler, founded Journey to Justice to raise awareness of elder abuse and advocate for stronger protections for older and care-dependent Pennsylvanians.
Senate Bill 807 would place responsibility for establishing and maintaining the registry with the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, in consultation with the departments of Aging and Health. It would establish criteria for placement on the registry, reporting requirements related to criminal convictions, and notice and an opportunity for administrative review before an individual is placed on the registry.
Senate Bill 1415 would complement those safeguards by strengthening criminal penalties, including making certain abuse and neglect offenses third-degree felonies and increasing the penalty for institutional sexual assault by a caretaker to a second-degree felony.
Both bills now advance to the House of Representatives for consideration.
Source:
Senate Passes Culver’s Alice’s Law and Companion Bill to Protect Care-Dependent Pennsylvanians
The wife of the memory care resident who was allegedly recorded by a worker told the I-Team that her trust was exploited and broken.
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South Barrington memory care worker charged with recording naked patient, sharing videos: police
BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) - North Dakota’s new Office of Guardianship and Conservatorship (OGC) opened April 1 and is already busy, with more than 80 referrals in its first months of operation.
Director Rachel Sinness said her six-person team has received referrals from courts, state agencies, family members and even people under guardianship themselves.
The office was created by lawmakers under Senate Bill 2029 in the 2025 session.
Sinness said it’s rare for the work to exist as its own agency — in most other states, guardianship oversight sits inside Health and Human Services or the court system. North Dakota’s office operates independently.
Unlike the prior court monitoring program under the judiciary, which only took court referrals, the new office also takes complaints from others.
“We also take those from the public and other agencies,” Sinness said. “If a family member is concerned a guardian is exploiting a loved one, that individual can also call our office and ask that we take up an investigation.”
Sinness described the office as “a one-stop shop for guardianship and conservatorship.” Guardians and conservators are required to file an annual report with the court. When judges spot discrepancies, they can refer the case to OGC for review.
Her team includes a legal director, two investigators called guardianship case monitors, a fiscal officer who handles state funding sources and eligibility, and an administrative assistant.
The office also works with the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) under the Attorney General’s office on cases needing further examination.
Sinness said many of the 80-plus referrals have been handled in-house. Several have resulted in recommendations to the district court where the guardianship originated, and some have been referred to BCI.
Most cases so far involve small paperwork issues, like a missing line item on an annual report, and can be resolved fairly quickly, Sinness said.
Sinness came to the role in November 2025, while the rest of the staff was hired in late March and early April. Before leading OGC, she worked as an assistant attorney general in the North Dakota Attorney General’s office focused on higher education.
She said the office provides oversight to ensure guardians and conservators follow strict standards so protected individuals maintain autonomy and basic rights, and decisions are made as they would make them themselves.
“We’re available by telephone for any questions pertaining to guardianship and conservatorship whatsoever,” she said.
Find more information and resources on their website.
For now, the office is working on the 14th floor of the Capitol, but plans to move to the Liberty Memorial Building in the future.
Full Article & Source:
What North Dakota’s new state agency does for guardianship, families and vulnerable adults
By Marc Ramirez
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| Jewelry seized during the May 2026 arrests in Virginia of two Ghanian twin brothers, 22-year-old Jamal and Kamal Abubakari. The Abubakaris were accused of being part of an international crime network that used romance fraud schemes to bilk mostly elderly Americans out of more than $9 million. USA TODAY Network, Reuters |
Now, twin brothers from Ghana and an American woman have admitted their part in an international crime network that used the fake romance schemes to bilk dozens of victims, most of them elderly Americans, out of more than $9 million in money and other items.
Jamal and Kamal Abubakari, both 22, of Ghana, and Amanda Joy Opoku-Boachie, 53, of Kula, Hawaii, pleaded guilty this month to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio said in a news release.
The fraud took place from July 2024 to April 2026, with victims spread across 25 U.S. states as well as in Germany and Austria. According to the documents, the defendants used dating websites and social media platforms to build personal and often romantic relationships with their victims, in some cases using artificial-intelligence-driven video to remotely interact with them under fake personas.
Swayed by false stories from people they hadn’t actually met in person, the victims wired money to financial accounts controlled by third-party co-conspirators. The purposes for which the defendants said they allegedly needed funds included medical emergencies, investment opportunities or travel costs to visit the victims, documents said.
“The consequences of this conduct are all-encompassing,” prosecutors said. “Victims report that they are left with absolutely nothing to sustain their lives going forward after a lifetime of work and saving. In addition, individual victims are ashamed and deprived of the trust they once had in their fellow human beings.”
As part of their plea agreement, the three defendants forfeited jewelry seized by investigators during their arrests, including luxury timepieces, rings, earrings, medallions and chains, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Each faces a maximum federal 20-year term at sentencing, scheduled for February.
Jamal Abubakari, aka Jamal Abubakar, was also known as Arrangement, court documents said, while Kamal Abubakari, aka Kamal Abubakar, went by the name Lancaster. Opoku-Boachie had several aliases including Amanda Joy Glum and Amanda Joy Kessei Bierman.
Other co-conspirators are awaiting extradition from Ghana, where seized assets included a Lamborghini, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and a Tesla Cybertruck, federal authorities said. In all, they said, more than 130 victims were defrauded.
The case is being conducted under the Elder Justice Initiative Program created by the Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act of 2017, designed to combat elder abuse, neglect, financial fraud and other scams targeting the nation’s older population.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Romance scammers stole $9M from elderly to buy jewels, Lamborghini
Reporting by Marc Ramirez, USA TODAY / USA TODAY
Full Article & Source:
Romance scammers stole $9M from elderly to buy jewels, Lamborghini
Siegal & Richardson, LLP
Lawsuit alleges caregiver negligence resulted in multiple fractures, severe pain, and suffering during elderly woman's final weeks
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- A San Francisco court will soon be asked to determine the extent of the neglect and abuse that a family alleges an in-home care attendant inflicted upon an elderly woman, resulting in devastating injuries and contributing to her painful death.
What should have been a time of comfort, dignity, and compassionate care became a nightmare for 87-year-old June Cohen and her family.
The lawsuit, Matt Cohen v. Aviva In Home Care, was brought by a San Francisco Bay Area family who entrusted the care of their elderly mother to a professional in-home care provider. Instead of receiving the safety and protection she desperately needed, Mrs. Cohen allegedly suffered catastrophic injuries at the hands of the very caregiver hired to help her.
According to the lawsuit, on the night of August 10, 2026, an allegedly inexperienced home care attendant dropped Mrs. Cohen, aggravating a preexisting fracture and causing several additional fractures. The injuries left her suffering through the final weeks of her life in hospice care, where, according to the family's allegations, she endured excruciating pain before her death.
The complaint alleges that Aviva In Home Care violated its legal obligations under California's elder abuse laws, including provisions of the Welfare and Institutions Code, by failing to provide the level of care and protection owed to a vulnerable elderly woman.
For families across America, the case raises a deeply troubling question: When we place our aging parents in the hands of professional caregivers, how can we be certain they are safe?
As our population ages, millions of families face the difficult decision of entrusting their loved ones to outside caregivers. They do so believing these professionals will provide compassion, competence, and protection. But as the Cohen family's allegations illustrate, failures in elderly care can have heartbreaking and potentially fatal consequences.
The Cohen family is now seeking accountability through the courts, while their case serves as a sobering reminder of the importance of proper caregiver training, oversight, and the protection of our most vulnerable citizens.
A copy of the filed complaint is available to members of the media upon request.
Media Contact
Joel H. Siegal, Esq, Siegal & Richardson, LLP, 1 (510) 271-6720, press@moiralouisepr.com, https://siegalrichardsonlaw.com/
Moira Noiseux, MoiraLouisePR, 1 5107179923, press@moiralouisepr.com, moiralouisepr.com
Source:
Family Files Elder Abuse Lawsuit Against In-Home Care Provider Following Death of 87-Year-Old Woman
by Odyssey Fields
The legislation, led by Stewart, provides the Montgomery County Office of Consumer Protection with the authority to deter and address deceptive trade practices, including those targeting residents who are vulnerable. The Montgomery County Council passed the Financial Exploitation Act by a unanimous vote.
The act prohibits the use of deception, intimidation or undue influence to obtain money, property or services from a vulnerable adult or person who is at least 68 years old.
"The Financial Exploitation Act will equip the Montgomery County Office of Consumer Protection with tools to deter and redress fraud and deceptive practices that target older residents and those who are vulnerable," said Stewart. "Financial scams are on the rise, and older residents are afraid to pick up a call or open an email to avoid being a victim. This act strengthens the safeguards and authority of the Office of Consumer Protection to go after bad actors, protect residents and prevent them from losing everything."
The expedited bill will also define the term, "vulnerable adult" to mean an adult who lacks the physical or mental capacity to provide for the adult's daily needs. The bill is aimed at deterring and addressing deceptive trade practices targeting vulnerable residents.
"We believe that people with disabilities have the right to live lives of their choosing in their community, directing their decisions with independence and authority. We also recognize that those with I/DD are more likely to fall victim to financial abuse. We believe this bill will help protect the dignity and safety of people we support," said Karen Lee, CEO of SEEC, a community provider for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
In addition to its investigative authority, the bill allows the Office of Consumer Protection to operate a voluntary mediation program to resolve consumer protection disputes.
Full Article & Source:
Montgomery County Council passes act aimed at fighting financial exploitation against seniors
by Sarah Agostino
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| Ekaterina Demidova | Moment | Getty Images |
Americans ages 60 and older reported losing about $3 billion to fraud last year, a 25% increase from $2.4 billion in 2024, according to the FTC’s annual report to Congress, released Monday, on fraud among older adults. That figure is up 400% from the $600 million reported lost in 2020.
Just 6% of older fraud victims reported losing $100,000 or more last year, but those losses accounted for 70% of the age group’s total reported losses. The number reporting losses of that magnitude rose nearly sixfold to 6,769 in 2025 from 1,136 in 2020.
Additionally, because many scams go unreported, the FTC estimates actual losses in 2025 could have been anywhere from $13.3 billion to $119.5 billion. In 2024, the estimated range was from $10.1 billion to $81.5 billion.
“The numbers and the increases are staggering,” said Bob Blancato, national coordinator for the Elder Justice Coalition, an advocacy group for ending elder abuse. “Part of it is that the perpetrators are always ahead. They seem to be one step ahead of everybody.”
The rising losses come as scammers increasingly target Americans’ life savings by impersonating banks, businesses and government agencies, according to an August 2025 analysis by the FTC. The schemes often involve fabricated emergencies that convince victims to transfer money to supposedly protect their accounts from being compromised.
The volume of scams has increased with the use of artificial intelligence. AI-generated scams are also increasingly difficult to detect and easier to produce, according to the FBI.
In many impersonation schemes, criminals pose as representatives of banks or government agencies and falsely warn that a consumer’s money is in danger of being stolen. Victims are then instructed to transfer funds, mail cash or deposit money into cryptocurrency ATMs, supposedly to protect their assets.
However, investment scams were the costliest fraud type reported by older Americans last year, with losses exceeding $1 billion, a 42% jump from 2024, the FTC’s new report shows. These scams often begin with social media ads promoting investment opportunities or messages from people posing as financial advisors, according to the FTC. Victims may then be directed to fraudulent trading platforms.
Government impersonation scams ranked second in total reported losses among older consumers, with $448 million in reported losses, followed by business impersonation scams, which resulted in $422 million in reported losses.
Congress is considering legislation intended to provide additional protections and relief for people who lose money to scams.
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 temporarily restricted victims’ ability to claim their fraud losses as a deduction on their tax return in certain cases. Prior to that legislation, fraud losses were generally deductible. The provision was scheduled to expire in 2025, but President Donald Trump’s “big beautiful bill” law enacted last year made that change permanent.
While investment fraud losses may be deductible, according to an IRS memorandum issued in March 2025, money lost to other scams — such as some impersonator or romance scams — is not, experts said.
You get scammed out of $100,000 and then you’re paying taxes on that $100,000. That’s crazy.
Bob Blancato
National coordinator for the Elder Justice Coalition
In addition, if the victim tapped a tax-deferred retirement account such as a traditional 401(k) or individual retirement account as part of the fraud, income taxes may be due on the distribution. And if the victim is younger than age 59½, an early withdrawal penalty of 10% may be imposed.
“You get scammed out of $100,000 and then you’re paying taxes on that $100,000,” Blancato said. “That’s crazy.”
The bipartisan Tax Relief for Fraud Victims Act, which was passed by the House in September in a 408-17 vote, would eliminate the deductibility restrictions and waive the 10% penalty if it applies, among other provisions. The bill was referred to the Senate Finance Committee. It’s uncertain whether it will gain traction in the upper chamber before this session of Congress is over.
Separately, the Financial Exploitation Prevention Act, which cleared the House in June by a vote of 414-2, would allow certain financial institutions such as mutual fund companies to temporarily delay transactions when they reasonably believe a customer is being financially exploited. It was referred to the Senate Banking Committee; whether it will get a floor vote is unknown.
Already, many banks and other financial institutions ask account holders for a “trusted contact,” which is someone who can be contacted in certain circumstances, including when financial exploitation is suspected. That person may be able to intervene to prevent the fraud by reaching out to the account holder. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or FINRA, requires brokerages to make a reasonable effort to add a trusted contact to accounts, although investors are not required to provide one.
If you suspect an older adult in your life is being victimized, it’s important to approach the situation with care, experts say.
“It’s usually best to start with an open, nonjudgmental, compassionate approach,” said Marti DeLiema, an associate professor at the University of Minnesota and associate director of education for the school’s Center for Healthy Aging and Innovation.
“You never say ‘you’re being scammed,’ because they’ll throw their guard up,” DeLiema said. “Scammers will try to intentionally isolate the target from potential interveners. They’ll say, ‘Don’t tell anyone about our relationship’ or ‘Don’t tell anyone that you won the lottery.’”
If the money is already gone, it’s important not to blame the victim, DeLiema said. “We do that to scam victims all the time. We say, ‘What were you thinking? How could you be so foolish?’” she said.
“We really need to move away from the shame, because I guarantee you, they’re already doing that to themselves,” DeLiema said. “They’re already pointing the finger inward.”
