Former Knox County lawyer admits to stealing more than $1 million from incapacitated clients

Anita Volpe faces up to 10 years in prison for the felony theft convictions. 

 

By Stephen Betts

WISCASSET — Former lawyer Anita Volpe pleaded guilty Monday to stealing more than $1 million from three elderly, incapacitated clients.

Volpe pleaded guilty Oct. 18 in Lincoln County Superior Court to three counts of felony theft. Justice Daniel Billings said sentencing will likely be held in February or March 2022.

There is no agreed upon sentence for the 76-year-old Tenants Harbor woman. Assistant Attorney General Leanne Robbin filed a memorandum in the Knox County court in October 2019 asking for a seven-year prison term for Volpe. After the hearing Monday, Robbin said since there is no agreed upon sentence, Volpe could be sentenced to up to 10 years for the offenses.

Volpe said little during the hearing other than saying she understood her rights and that she was pleading guilty.

Volpe was indicted in March 2019 on three counts of felony theft, two counts of Class B misuse of entrusted property and one count of Class C misuse of entrusted property. The misuse of entrusted property charges were dismissed Monday in exchange for the guilty pleas.

Volpe is represented by attorney Leonard Sharon who complained to the judge about the amount of time the prosecutor was taking during the Monday hearing to detail the thefts. He asked that he and Volpe be allowed to sit during the recitation since he contended it was taking as long as a trial.

The case, like most in the court system, had been delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions imposed by the court.

Volpe stole $553,225 from Mary Webb; $490,416 from Patricia Wakefield; and more than $100,000 from Corine Hendrick who was her mother-in-law. The amount of restitution to be paid has not been determined and will be set by the judge at the sentencing hearing.

Volpe served as the power of attorney for the three women.

The longtime local lawyer used the stolen money to pay personal credit card debt and to purchase real estate, including a parcel abutting her home in St. George. Volpe also used some of the money to repair her Main Street law office in Rockland, and for repairs to her St. George home. Money was also used to pay property taxes for property she owned in Florida and for a vehicle for her business partner. One payment from Webb’s account was $2,500 for a wood carving from an art gallery that Volpe owned in Rockland.

Volpe also received annuities meant for Wakefield, a retired Army lieutenant colonel, after the woman died.

Hendrick died Dec. 20, 2014, at age 92, after several weeks in a nursing facility in Augusta that her grandchildren said was very low-quality. The family had wanted to put her in Quarry Hill, but could not because of lack of funds.

The Maine Supreme Court accepted the surrender of Volpe’s license in lieu of disciplinary action in August 2016. Justice Andrew Mead impounded all the documents related to the matter, but Hendrick’s grandson, Shane Hendrick, of Camden, released the paperwork back in 2016.

Volpe had initially been the personal representative for Hendrick’s estate after Hendrick died, but withdrew before the estate was probated. She repaid the Hendrick’s estate after she surrendered her law license but the Board of Overseers of the Bar was unaware that the money had been stolen from Webb and Wakefield.

The thefts from the other women came when the banks noticed the multiple transactions over a period of years.

Volpe had been admitted to the Maine Bar in 1977.

Full Article & Source:

Former Knox County lawyer admits to stealing more than $1 million from incapacitated clients 

 

See Also: 

No deal reached in case accusing lawyer of stealing 

 

State seeks 7-year sentence for lawyer accused of stealing from clients 

 

Former Rockland attorney pleads not guilty to stealing from elderly clients

State seeks 7-year sentence for lawyer accused of stealing from clients

Anita Volpe Courier-Gazette file photo

By Stephen Betts

ROCKLAND — The state is recommending that a former longtime Rockland lawyer serve seven years in prison if convicted of stealing nearly $1.2 million from three elderly, incapacitated people.

The recommendations were filed Oct. 7 in the Knox County court by the Maine Attorney General’s Office in preparation for a conference that was held Thursday in the case against 74-year-old Anita M. Volpe of Tenants Harbor.

No settlement was reached Thursday and another dispositional conference is expected in January.

Volpe was indicted in March on three counts of felony theft, two counts of Class B misuse of entrusted property and one count of Class C misuse of entrusted property.

She pleaded not guilty at her April arraignment.

Volpe is free on bail with the condition that she not be a trustee, personal representative or handle finances for anyone  until the case is concluded.

The memorandum filed Oct. 7 by Assistant Attorney General Leanne Robbin alleges that Volpe stole $553,225 from Mary Webb; $490,416 from Patricia Wakefield; and more than $100,000 from Corine Hendrick. The state is proposing that Volpe pay restitution of those amounts to Webb and Wakefield’s estates.

Volpe served as the power of attorney for the three women.

According to the state, Volpe stole from Webb and Wakefield to repay the estate of Hendrick, who was her mother-in-law.

The longtime local lawyer is alleged to have used the stolen money to pay personal credit card debt, and to purchases real estate, according to the state’s memo to the court. The real estate included a parcel abutting her home in St. George.

Volpe also used some of the money to repair her Main Street law office in Rockland, according to the state. And she also is alleged to have used the money to repair her home.

Volpe also traded in a car owned by Wakefield to help pay for a pick-up truck.

A telephone message was left Friday morning with Volpe’s attorney Leonard Sharon of Auburn. There was no immediate response.

Hendrick died Dec. 20, 2014, at age 92, after several weeks in a nursing facility in Augusta that her grandchildren said was very low-quality. The family had wanted to put her in a Camden nursing home, but could not because of a lack of funds.

Volpe eventually issued a check for $119,658 to Hendrick’s estate. The deputy counsel for the Maine Board of Overseers, Aria Eee, however, voiced concern in an April 2016 court filing about where Volpe got the money to pay the estate.

“As such, the Board is concerned that Attorney Volpe likely utilized other client funds in her trust account to issue the $119,658.54 check she paid to Ms. Hendrick’s estate,” the deputy bar counsel wrote in the document.

The Maine Board of Overseers would not comment in 2016 on whether it had referred the complaint to the Maine Attorney General’s Office for a criminal investigation.

The Maine Supreme Court accepted the surrender of Volpe’s license in lieu of disciplinary action in August 2016. Justice Andrew Mead impounded all the documents related to the matter, but Hendrick’s grandson, Shane Hendrick, of Camden, released the paperwork later that year.

Volpe had initially been the personal representative for Hendrick’s estate after Hendrick died, but withdrew before the estate was probated.

In 2016, Volpe’s attorney at the time, Toby Dilworth of Portland, said the allegations against her in the Hendrick case were just that – allegations. “They are not facts. Ms. Volpe was prepared to defend against them. However, given that she was planning to wind down her practice after almost 39 years as a lawyer, she decided to surrender her license rather than engage further in this intra-family dispute,” Dilworth said.

Wakefield was a retired lieutenant colonel in the Army. The state alleges that Volpe stole from Wakefield and her estate from May 20, 2014, through April 2, 2018.

Wakefield died Nov. 11, 2016, at the Knox Center in Rockland at age 87.

Volpe was the personal representative who oversaw the handling of Wakefield’s estate. Wakefield, who had lived in Tenants Harbor before going to the nursing home, had signed the will naming Volpe as personal representative Dec. 15, 2000. Volpe was also listed as having the power to make medical decisions for Wakefield if she was unable to make those choices for herself, according to probate court records.

Wakefield was not married and had no children. Her will left all her assets to the Bolles School in Jacksonville, Fla.

After her death, the Knox Center made a claim against Wakefield’s estate for $49,667.

Volpe, acting as personal representative, oversaw the sale of Wakefield’s house in January 2017.

In regard to the third victim, the indictment against Volpe alleges she stole money from Webb from April 21, 2014, through Jan. 9, 2017.

Volpe was also listed as the durable financial power of attorney for Webb in a probate case involving the disposition of the estate of Webb’s husband, Richard Webb Jr. Richard Webb, a St. George resident, died Jan. 27, 2014, at the age of 86 at the Cushing Homestead.

His obituary listed no children for the couple.

That estate went through a lengthy court battle after allegations that another individual had used undue influence on Richard Webb to have him unknowingly sign a document giving 25 percent of his estate – worth an estimated $2 million – to that individual.

That individual was not Volpe.

The case was eventually settled in June 2016 with the other individual repaying Mary Webb an unspecified amount of money. Webb died in March.

Volpe received her law degree from Widener University in Chester, Pa., in 1975. She was admitted to the Maine Bar in 1977. She practiced in Rockland until she surrendered her license in August 2016.

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State seeks 7-year sentence for lawyer accused of stealing from clients

Former Rockland attorney pleads not guilty to stealing from elderly clients

Anita Volpe is charged with stealing tens of thousands of dollars from three clients.  

By Stephen BettsCourier-Gazette

 

Anita Volpe Courier-Gazette file photo

 

ROCKLAND —A former longtime Rockland lawyer accused of stealing tens of thousands of dollars each from three “vulnerable” people pleaded not guilty to all charges during a brief hearing Monday.

Anita M. Volpe, 73, of Tenants Harbor made her initial appearance in the Knox County court. She was indicted March 5 on three counts of felony theft, two counts of Class B misuse of entrusted property, and one count of Class C misuse of entrusted property.

Judge Patricia Worth agreed to conditions requested by the Maine Attorney General’s Office that Volpe not be a trustee, personal representative or handle finances for anyone else until the case is concluded.

Volpe said little other than that she understood the charges and her rights. A dispositional conference has been scheduled for June 27.

Volpe was represented at the hearing by attorney Steven Peterson of Rockport. Assistant Attorney General Leanne Robbin represented the state.

Volpe is accused of stealing more than $10,000 from Corine Hendrick from Oct. 26, 2012, through Dec. 1, 2014.

Hendrick was Volpe’s mother-in-law and died at age 92 on Dec. 20, 2014, after several weeks in a nursing facility in Augusta that her grandchildren said was very low quality. The family wanted to put her in a Camden nursing home, but could not afford it.

Volpe eventually issued a check for $119,658 to Hendrick’s estate. The deputy counsel for the Maine Board of Overseers, Aria Eee, however, questioned in a 2016 court filing where Volpe got the money.
“As such, the Board is concerned that attorney Volpe likely utilized other client funds in her trust account to issue the $119,658.54 check she paid to Ms. Hendrick’s estate,” the deputy bar counsel wrote.

The Maine Supreme Judicial Court accepted the surrender of Volpe’s license in lieu of disciplinary action in August 2016. Justice Andrew Mead impounded all documents related to the matter, but Hendrick’s grandson Shane Hendrick of Camden released the paperwork in 2016.

Volpe had initially been the personal representative for Hendrick’s estate after Hendrick died, but Volpe withdrew before the estate was probated.

In 2016, Volpe’s attorney at the time, Toby Dilworth of Portland, said the allegations against her in the Hendrick case were unproven.

“They are not facts. Ms. Volpe was prepared to defend against them. However, given that she was planning to wind down her practice after almost 39 years as a lawyer, she decided to surrender her license rather than engage further in this intra-family dispute,” Dilworth said back in 2016.

Another alleged victim was Patricia Wakefield, a retired Army lieutenant colonel.

The state alleges that Volpe stole more than $10,000 from Wakefield from May 20, 2014 through April 2, 2018.

Wakefield died at age 87 on Nov. 11, 2016 at the Knox Center in Rockland.

Volpe was the personal representative who oversaw the handling of Wakefield’s estate. Wakefield, who had lived in Tenants Harbor before going to the nursing home, had signed the will naming Volpe as personal representative on Dec. 15, 2000. Volpe was also listed as having the power to make medical decisions for Wakefield if she was unable to make those choices for herself, according to probate court records.

Wakefield was not married and had no children. Her will left all her assets to the Bolles School in Jacksonville, Fla.

After her death, the Knox Center made a claim against Wakefield’s estate for $49,667.

The third alleged victim listed in the indictment is Mary Webb. The indictment against Volpe alleges she stole money from Webb from April 21, 2014 through Jan. 9, 2017.

Volpe was also listed as the durable financial power of attorney for Webb in a probate case involving the disposition of the estate of Webb’s husband, Richard Webb Jr. Richard Webb, a St. George resident, died on Jan. 27, 2014 at the age of 86 at the Cushing Homestead.

His obituary listed no children for the couple.

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Former Rockland attorney pleads not guilty to stealing from elderly clients