It is always disturbing when an estate administrator steals from the estate. That goes double when the administrator is a former district attorney.
John Paschall served as the District Attorney for Robertson County, Texas for 20 years. He should have been someone who could be trusted and counted on to dutifully follow the law. Marium Oscar must have believed so.
She chose Paschall to oversee her estate. It was supposed to be divided between the local Volunteer Fire Department and a local charity. Instead, Paschall took approximately $200,000 from the estate for his own benefit.
His misdeeds came to light during a civil suit and he was subsequently charged in a criminal action.
Paschall plead guilty and will serve 30 days in jail and 10 years of probation. He was also ordered to pay more than $186,000 in restitution and surrender his license to practice law.
KBTX reported this story in an article entitled "Former Robertson County DA must pay $186,518.07, spend month in jail for stealing money."
Fortunately, Paschall was caught and convicted.
Even if you consider the sentence is on the light side, this case illustrates the need to be very, very careful when it comes to selecting the executor of your estate. Choosing an attorney may be a good idea. However, make sure it is an attorney you can trust, such as an experienced estate attorney who has a reputation for properly handling estates in your area.
Although there can be no guarantees, vetting the person you select can help ensure that he or she will not steal estate funds.
Reference: KBTX (Feb. 4, 2016) "Former Robertson County DA must pay $186,518.07, spend month in jail for stealing money."
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