Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Couple accused of stealing from uncle

They say it is a family dispute over an estate. The wife had power of attorney because her uncle showed signs of dementia.

By JACOB H. FRIES
Published March 9, 2005

CLEARWATER - A Safety Harbor couple have been arrested on allegations that they stole more than $445,000 from a relative suffering from Alzheimer's disease, authorities said Tuesday.

Susan and Jim Just were booked into the Pinellas County jail Monday on a charge of exploitation of an elderly or disabled person. They were released later that day after each posted $50,000 bail.

Susan Just, 57, was given power of attorney over her uncle, Anthony Kishonas, in November 2001 when he began to show signs of dementia related to Alzheimer's, according to arrest documents. Unable to care for themselves, Kishonas and his wife, Genevieve, moved to Florida from Illinois.

Just and her husband then liquidated Kishonas' assets, including mutual funds and his house in Illinois, authorities said. Robert Ulmer, an investigator in the Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney's Office, said the couple converted his estate into about $800,000 and then loaned themselves about $300,000 for their consulting company, Just Management Services Inc.

Ulmer said he also traced another $400,000 to personal accounts opened in the couple's names, including $184,000 in a Merrill Lynch brokerage account and $34,000 for a house down payment.

"We believe it's a strong case of elderly exploitation," Ulmer said.

Curtis Crider, a Clearwater attorney representing the Just couple, said they were innocent and that the allegations arose from a misunderstanding between relatives.

"It's an unfortunate family dispute over an uncle's estate," Crider said. "We're confident the truth is going to come out at a later date."

Susan Just's mother, Adeline Piotrowski, reported the case to Clearwater police. Detective Greg Smith and his partner, Detective John Schmalzbauer, took up the investigation and followed the path of money. Smith later interviewed Jim Just, 59, in August 2003.

"The sort of feeling I got from Jim was, "We provided what we could for this guy. He's in a nursing home, and he doesn't need the money,' " Smith recalled.

Genevieve Kishonas died in April 2002, soon after relocating to Florida. Anthony Kishonas died in February 2004. Efforts to reach other family members were unsuccessful.

[Last modified March 9, 2005, 00:54:20]

Re-enter ViewRants

An Exception has Occurred (click triangle to view)