New Mexico

WW II veteran Dennis Ferk, fleeced of $340,000 by caretakers avoided any jail, so long as they made attempts to pay only $120,496 in restitution, an unknown amount of which might have been received by the victim, former Staff Sgt Ferk. Most probably went to attorneys fees, guardianship fees and court costs.

New Mexico: Pair plead guilty to fleecing WWII vet of $340,000; receive no jail time

June 24, 2018 // 0 Comments

Problems in the guardianship system in New Mexico continue. I’m referring to the article by Phaedra Haywood (“Pair plead guilty to fleecing WWII vet.” April 27). Obviously; Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer did not believe that 26 criminal counts were serious enough to put the couple in this case in jail. It’s the same twisted logic that allows attorneys and judges in this state to continue to overlook such criminals to hold them accountable. District Attorney Marco Serna stated [- more...]

New Mexico's Administrative Office of the Courts

New Mexico: Court administrator admits “We have no records showing the exact number of wards under guardianship in NM”

June 5, 2018 // 0 Comments

We were shocked, but ultimately not surprised, to find Barry Massey, Communications Officer for New Mexico’s Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) admit, in writing, We have no records showing the “exact number of wards under guardianship in NM” because it is uncertain how many of the total case filings remain active and require judicial monitoring Please see these two PDFs (below) which explain how instead of answering the question about how many wards have been created by judges [- more...]

New Mexico 2nd Judicial District Judges Shannon Bacon (top) and Nan Nash (bottom)

New Mexico: Courts are unable to state whether ward is dead or alive – since 2010

March 25, 2018 // 0 Comments

By Colleen Heild / Journal Investigative Reporter Sunday, March 25th, 2018 at 12:05am What’s become of Elizabeth Hamel? There’s no indication as to whether she is dead or alive, or if the guardianship/conservatorship has been revoked. Hamel is among dozens of people placed under a legal guardianship or conservator in southern New Mexico over the past 20 years whose welfare is unknown – at least according to state district court records. The scant court records available to the public [- more...]

Dr Sam Sugar, Founder, Americans Against Abusive Probate Guardianship

Did you know?

February 16, 2018 // 0 Comments

As a result of an increased awareness of the issues in professional guardianships brought brought about by AAAPG, other advocacy groups and dedicated citizens around the country, there is a lot of light being shone on the exploitation of seniors in guardianship and what to do about it. In Nevada a police officer. Lt. James Melton has been arrested for conspiring with notorious guardian April Parks to run her infamous racket exploiting the elderly and their families in Las Vegas. Also, [- more...]

Wendy York is Chair of the New Mexico Guardianship Commission works with Neil Bell, New Mexico Supreme Court attorney helps re-write the the final report that will go to the NM Supreme Court. Friday,Dec. 22, 2017. (Jim Thompson/Albuquerque Journal)

New Mexico: Court suggests critical changes to state rules

December 30, 2017 // 0 Comments

By Colleen Heild / Journal Investigative Reporter Saturday, December 30th, 2017 at 12:05am New Mexico’s secretive system under which the state handles daily living and financial decisions for hundreds of incapacitated people a year would undergo a radical transformation if recommendations unveiled by a state Supreme Court commission are adopted. The commission’s final report of recommendations for an improved guardian/conservator system in New Mexico – released late Thursday – presents [- more...]

Liane Kerr, criminal defense attorney and ex-wife of Desert State CEO Paul Donisthorpe, at a change-in-venue hearing in April. (Joshua Bachman/Las Cruces Sun-News)

New Mexico: Plea bargain catches victims by surprise

November 30, 2017 // 0 Comments

By Colleen Heild / Journal Investigative Reporter Federal law says crime victims have a right to “reasonable and timely notice” of any public court proceedings involving the crime. But Paul Donisthorpe’s sudden plea bargain Monday in a high-profile $4 million trust fund embezzlement scheme caught victims by surprise. Armando Ramirez, of Santa Teresa, helps support his brother Omar Ramirez, who lost nearly $1 million in a trust account managed by Donisthorpe that was supposed to pay for [- more...]

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