Judge and Three Others Accused of Embezzlement in Detroit
A judge from Detroit, along with three other individuals, faces allegations of embezzling approximately $300,000 from a state district. It’s reported that they used these funds for buying new vehicles and other personal investments.
Andrea Bradley Baskin, who serves on Michigan’s 36th District Court, is accused of stealing roughly $273,000 from the estate of a person deemed incapacitated. The conspiracy reportedly involved a court-appointed guardian, a group home operator, and even her father.
As per federal indictment documents, individuals identified as incapacitated wards are assigned guardians or conservators by the court to oversee their financial affairs.
U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon Jr. stated on Friday that Judge Baskin allegedly defrauded her ward of $70,000, funneling the money into investments for a local bar.
In addition, she is said to have misappropriated funds from another estate to cover the two-year lease on a new Ford Expedition.
“We respect the authority that comes with the roles in the judicial system. This judge and her associates are accused of taking advantage of those in need—abusing their positions for personal gain. It’s a severe betrayal of public trust,” Gorgon commented.
Bradley Baskin, who is 46, and her father, Avery Baskin, are both attorneys involved with more than 1,000 cases concerning incapacitated wards through a firm responsible for managing their estates, according to the Justice Department.
Allegations indicate that a company called Guardian & Associates, managed by indicted co-conspirator Nancy Williams, distributed funds from these vulnerable individuals’ estates to the judge, her father, and group home operator Dwight Rashad.
Bradley, 72, Rashad, 69, and Williams, 59, allegedly misappropriated $203,000 from legal settlements belonging to their wards, without distributing any of it to the individuals themselves.
The indictment also accuses Guardian & Associates of intending to make payouts to Rashad for individuals not residing in his facilities.
All four involved face charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
“Regardless of one’s societal position, nobody is beyond the law. These defendants are suspected of conspiring to exploit our most vulnerable citizens,” emphasized FBI Special Agent Jennifer Runyan in a statement.
Furthermore, Judge Baskin is charged with providing false statements to a federal officer. She is facing one count of wire fraud, while she, her daughter, and Rashad each face multiple charges of money laundering.
