DETROIT (WXYZ) — A 36th District Court judge is among four people facing federal charges in connection with what officials call "a years-long scheme to embezzle money from incapacitated individuals."
Judge Andrea Bradley-Baskin, Nancy Williams, Avery Bradley, and Dwight Rashad have all been indicted on conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Bradley is also facing one count of wire fraud, in addition to several counts of money laundering. Bradley-Basking and Rashad are also facing several counts of money laundering. And Bradly-Baskin has also been charged with a single count of making a false statement to federal law enforcement agents.
According to the indictment, Williams owned Guardian and Associates, and Bradley-Baskin, and her father, Avery Bradley, operated a law firm that represented Guardian and Associates in Wayne County Probate Court. Rashad operated a series of group homes and residential facilities for elderly individuals who needed support and care, including wards who had guardians and conservators appointed to manage their personal and financial affairs.
The four are accused of embezzling funds from the wards. The indictment lays out several examples, including one instance in which Bradley-Baskin allegedly used $70,000 from a ward’s funds to purchase an ownership stake in a local bar. In another case, Bradley, Williams, and Rashad are alleged to have taken nearly $203,000 from a ward’s legal settlement, with none of the funds used to benefit the ward. Williams is also alleged to have paid Rashad rent for wards who did not live in one of his homes, and Bradley-Baskin is alleged to have used money embezzled from the estate of a ward in another case to pay a two-year lease on a new Ford Expedition for herself.
“Regardless of a person’s position in society, no one is above the law. These four defendants allegedly conspired to steal from some of our most vulnerable citizens — looting bank accounts, exploiting legal authority, and profiting off those who relied on them for care and protection," said Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office, in a news release. "Let me be clear: if you prey on the vulnerable, we will find you and bring you to justice. Finally, I want to recognize our FBI Detroit Area Corruption Task Force, alongside our partners at the IRS Criminal Investigations Detroit Field Office, for their dedicated work on behalf of these victims, as well as the Wayne County Probate Court for bringing this matter to our attention and assisting the investigation."
The FBI has set up a website where people can submit information concerning a ward of Guardian & Associates or Tri-State Guardian Services.
You can read the full indictment below:
Indictment - Usa v. Andrea Bradley-baskin Et Al by WXYZ-TV Channel 7 Detroit
