The New York State Police Livingston Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) has arrested Christopher J. Read, 46, of North Adams, Massachusetts, in connection with a larceny investigation involving the misuse of guardianship funds.
Following an extensive investigation, authorities determined that Read,
who had been appointed as a legal guardian for an individual residing
in Hillsdale, NY, failed to utilize the entrusted funds for the care and
well-being of the victim. Instead, Reed diverted these resources for
personal gain, misappropriating a total of $38,302.05.
As a result of the investigation, Read was charged with:
Grand Larceny in the Third Degree (Class D felony)
Endangering the Welfare of an Incompetent or Physically Disabled Person in the First Degree (Class E felony)
Read was released on one's own recognizance and scheduled to appear in the Town of Claverack Court on June 25,2025.
Contact Troop K Public Information Officer: Trooper Krystal P. Paolicelli
A retired Chicago judge was stripped of her law license after she was
accused of stealing more than $240,000 from her decorated World War II
veteran uncle to buy cryptocurrency.
Patricia Martin admitted to misappropriating funds trusted to her by
her uncle, Oscar Wilkerson Jr., and his power of attorney while the
honorable Tuskegee Airman was in the care of a nursing home, according to CBS Chicago.
Martin was disbarred on consent, according to court records filed in the Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday.
“She intentionally used for her own purposes more than $240,000 she
had agreed to hold for an elderly relative who was residing in a nursing
home, made false statements to the physician who held her relative’s
power of attorney about the balances in his bank and investment
accounts, and did not produce documents in response to an ARDC
subpoena,” the court’s Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission
said.
Martin had served as a Circuit Judge for the Cook County Circuit Court in Illinois for 24 years before she retired in 2020.
She admitted to stealing Wilkerson’s life savings in June.
Oscar Wilkerson Jr. and his power of attorney trusted Martin with handling his finances.US Army
“On December 5, 2022, [Martin] filed an answer to the complaint in
which she admitted that she had wrongfully assumed control over Mr.
Wilkerson’s property,” according to the record.
“She had no authority to use his funds for any purpose other than for
his benefit and that she had intentionally deprived him of funds to
which he was entitled.”
Wilkerson’s friend and true power of attorney Dr. Maceo Ellison had
entrusted Martin to help manage the finances before he uncovered the
illegal use.
Martin admitted to using the funds and was later ordered to pay three times the amount she stole from her uncle.casacookcounty.org
The former judge was in charge of looking after his bank, 401k, and social security accounts.
Ellison first caught wind of the fraud when Brookdale Senior Living,
the nursing home where Wilkerson was living, contacted him in July 2022,
court documents said.
The facility alleged Martin had not paid for Wilkerson’s care at the
home in two months while one of Wilkerson’s bank accounts then showed
that “more than $41,000” was owed.
Wilkins was the last known surviving member of Tuskegee Airmen in Chicago.taichicago.org
Ellison and Wilkerson hired attorney Eric Puryear to investigate
Martin’s handling of the senior citizen’s finances and uncovered the
substantial missing funds.
Martin acknowledged that “the evidence would clearly and convincingly
establish the facts and conclusions of misconduct,” according to
records.
Wilkerson died in February — a day before his 97th birthday — but filed a lawsuit against Martin in September 2022.
The state legal disciplinary agency proved the disgraced judge sunk
over $110,000 into cryptocurrency from her uncle’s money in her name
through receipts.
Martin and her lawyers argue that she shouldn’t have to pay money to her uncle’s estate since he died.CBS 2 Chicago
In June, Martin was ordered to pay her uncle’s estate $1.1 million —
three times the amount she stole from him — after she continually failed
to appear in court and was unresponsive to court orders, according to
records.
Martin, however, argued that she shouldn’t have to pay the money to her uncle’s estate since he was dead.
“The plaintiff’s death suspends the court’s jurisdiction in this matter,” her lawyer wrote, according to CBS.
Wilkerson died in February 2023 but sued Martin months before his death.85th Support Command
“If you can’t trust a judge, who can you trust?” Ken Rapier, a friend
of Wilkerson, told the outlet. “It really upsets me when somebody takes
advantage of the Tuskegee Airmen.”
Wilkerson grew up in Chicago Heights and left to join the famed civil rights aviators, the Tuskegee Airman, in 1944.
The civil rights pioneer was one of the first black military pilots
to fight for the United States in World War II before returning to
Chicago and becoming a radio DJ.
He was the last known surviving member of Tuskegee Airmen in Chicago, according to ABC7.
In 2007, Wilkerson was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by President George W. Bush.
