Michigan judge, lawyer father charged over misusing funds from vulnerable adults

A sitting judge and her own father are among four people accused of siphoning off hundreds of thousands of dollars from vulnerable adults.

Federal authorities say the group including Michigan Judge Andrea Bradley-Baskin and veteran attorney Avery Bradley abused their positions of trust to embezzle money from elderly and incapacitated wards placed under guardianship, report Daily News.

The pair, both from Detroit, were charged alongside Nancy Williams and Dwight Rasha with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.

Prosecutors allege the scheme quietly unfolded behind the scenes of the system meant to safeguard vulnerable adults.

Court papers claim Bradley and his daughter ran a law firm that frequently represented the guardianship agency in court, while Rasha operated group homes and care facilities for elderly residents.

Instead of protecting those in their care, authorities say the group ‘systematically embezzled funds’ for personal gain.

In one instance, Bradley, Williams and Rasha allegedly pocketed around $203,000 from a ward’s legal settlement. In another, Williams is accused of paying rent to Rasha for residents who did not even live in his properties.

Bradley-Baskin, elected to Michigan’s 36th District Court last year, faces accusations she diverted $70,000 of a ward’s money to buy a stake in a local bar. She is also alleged to have used funds from another estate to lease a new SUV for two years.

Bradley faces an additional wire fraud charge, while his daughter is accused of making false statements to federal investigators. Several of the defendants are also charged with multiple counts of money laundering.

The charges were announced Friday by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.