![]() ![]() Urging that Martin be sanctioned for failing to answer questions and provide records in the case, the lawyers asked for a default judgment of $1,229,384.31.ĭemacopoulos signed an order granting that request on May 24. Less than a week later, the attorneys reported that $383,236.75 had been emptied from Wilkerson's accounts and that other people had to step in to cover the money that wasn't paid to his retirement home. The most recent transactions, from April 6 to April 28, totaled $2,875.29 and appeared to violate Demacopoulos' order, Wilkerson's attorneys wrote in urging the judge to order Martin to show why she shouldn't be held in contempt of court and ordered to return the money and show where it was moved. Then, through a subpoena, Wilkerson's lawyers obtained records showing that wire transfers of Wilkerson's money had been sent to accounts in a cryptocurrency exchange that also were emptied, according to a May 11 court filing. Less than a month later, the lawyers wrote, the former judge had "dissipated funds and may be engaging in risky crypto transactions that threaten the remaining funds that exist."Īt a hearing April 6, Demacopoulos ordered Martin "to refrain from transferring or using any further funds" from Wilkerson's accounts. In a filing last October, Wilkerson's lawyers voiced frustration about that and said they were taking their concerns to the Cook County state's attorney's office, the Illinois attorney general's office and the Illinois Department of Aging. Martin dodged questions and requests for information about the money as the litigation wore on, court records show. It says that's when he learned that his checking and investment accounts had been "emptied." And it was unclear where his Social Security and pension payments were being deposited. Martin later reported, in April 2022, that there was about $50,000 in Wilkerson's checking account and $120,000 in a retirement account, according to the suit.īut that July a red flag went up when Wilkerson got a notice saying he owed $41,296.10 to the senior home and that payments for him to live there hadn't been made in recent months, according to the suit. That was a month before Wilkerson moved to a seniors residence in Orland Park. Ellison, a friend of Wilkerson, was granted power of attorney as his health declined, according to the lawsuit, which says Ellison then tapped Martin to "supervise and manage" Wilkerson's financial affairs in November 2020. Bush.Īfter leaving the service, he delighted in taking children up for the first flights and worked at radio stations in Chicago and Harvey.ĭr. Wilkerson, who was the group's last known surviving member in the Chicago area, was among roughly 300 surviving members awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 2007 by President George W. ![]() And, on May 24, Cook County Circuit Judge Anna Demacopoulos ordered Martin to pay Wilkerson's attorneys more than $1.2 million in damages, fees and court costs after Martin failed to answer questions about the money and to hand over records. ![]() Wilkerson sued Martin last September, saying she took advantage of him in his old age and hid his retirement money. Now, Martin is accused in a lawsuit of stealing more than $240,000 from Wilkerson's savings and retirement accounts, sinking more than $100,000 of it into cryptocurrency. lived a rich life, serving with the trailblazing Tuskegee Airmen during World War II before settling in Chicago's south suburbs and eventually being awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.Īs he grew old, his health deteriorated, and his finances were placed in the hands of Patricia Martin, a former presiding Cook County judge who's a niece of his former wife. Ex-Cook County Judge Patricia Martin must pay $1.2 million after allegedly stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from a decorated Tuskegee Airman.ĬHICAGO - Oscar Wilkerson Jr. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |