Despite her involvement with the disbarred attorney who stole nearly $1 million from her late husband’s estate, the widow’s sentence did not include jail time.
Charlinette Detmers was ordered to pay $30,000 in restitution and sentenced to four years on probation by a North Carolina court, after pleading guilty to felony embezzlement.
Wealth Advisor’s recent article, “Lover stole nearly $1M from her late husband’s estate on Lake Norman,” explains that court records identify the victim of her embezzlement as her son, Tols Detmers, who was 19 years old when he sued his mother and her lover, a disbarred attorney.
Ms. Detmers is also required to work with her parole officer to find “suitable life skills and educational programs” and not travel out of state, without her parole officer’s permission, according to court documents.
Tols Detmers accused the two of spending hundreds of thousands of dollars that his late father left for him. Fritz Detmers, Tols’ father, lived in North Carolina, and died at age 78 in 2009.
The disbarred attorney is serving a 16-year sentence at state correctional institution for embezzling from the estate, prison records show. A Lincoln County grand jury indicted him on 11 counts of embezzlement. In June 2017, he pleaded guilty in Lincoln County Criminal Superior Court to five felony counts of embezzling $100,000 or more.
According to an affidavit, the disbarred attorney admitted using the money for personal benefit. In addition, court filings in a related civil case show that he spent about $9,200 on an engagement ring for a former secretary at the law firm whom he married. He also gave $15,520 to his wife’s now-defunct boutique shop in Denver.
Thousands of dollars were found to have been used for family trips at luxurious resorts and his personal bills.
This story is a prime example of how naming trustworthy individuals to serve in the proper fiduciary capacities is vitally important. The individuals you name in your estate plan have broad authority to use estate assets in their administrative capacities. Unscrupulous individuals, such as those in this story, show the consequences of the misuse of the authority given in a will or trust. If you don’t think that your close family members can wisely handle such responsibilities, there are many other options, such as naming a professional fiduciary, that are available to you. You should review your options and your estate plan with your attorney to determine what is the right course for your situation. Contact the Soto Law Firm today for a free consultation to discuss your options in Arizona.
Reference: Wealth Advisor (February 26, 2018) “Lover stole nearly $1M from her late husband’s estate on Lake Norman”
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