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Writer's pictureAlexander Barnett

8.24.2023 19 Court Cases of Devon Bank Trust Dept Defrauding and Abusing Elders & Disabled

What Happen Today In The Stock Market? CRA$H !!!


I told you to cash me out.

I told you to get rid of the garbage in my portfolio.

Told you to short Budweiser, Target & Disney

Also told you to convert my assets into some tangible. GOLD & SILVER specifically.

I also told you w


Report of Devon Bank Guardianships 2003-2010

Nineteen Cases of Legalized Abuse, Neglect and Financial Exploitation of the Elderly and Disabled in Cook County ( I am dyslexic and learning disabled. I am also traumatized from 3 years of abuse, torture & mental maniplation at The Family Foundation School in Hancock, NY. Where over 100 former students have committed suicide. Of which there are numerous mentions of (as well as instutionalization) in my original 1985 Trust that was drafted by the "sucessor trustee/Attorneys of MY Trustee when I was only 14 years old)


To Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Federal Trade Commission, Congressman Mike Quigley, Senator Richard Durbin, Senator Mark Kirk, Governor Patrick Quinn, US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald Attorney General Lisa Madigan States Attorney Anita Alvarez Mayor-Elect Rahm Emanuel and Senator Herb Kohl - WI(Special Committee on Aging)March 2011


My name is XXX XXXX (Redacted). I have become an elder abuse advocate because someone very dear to my heart is being abused and financially exploited by the Trust Department at Devon Bank and their employees. I got involved with them because I was a caregiver for a gentleman who had an estate worth one million dollars, his heirs overseas. Cash, stocks and a four-unit apartment building. He was escorted by me and Elder Protective Services (Catholic Charities) to Janna Dutton’s office to write his will. Dutton set him up with a trust account at Devon Bank and they hired people to drug my Senior, slander me, abuse us both in order to gain control of his entire estate and person. Because of what happened to me and Mr. Joseph Ludwig Ziarnik, I researched all Devon Bank’s guardianships starting in the year 2003 because there was a sharp increase in their clients adjudicated incompetent. (Sounds Familiar ?)


I also only looked into their court cases that ended up with paid guardians so I don’t know if the other nineteen cases were court battles with family members winning custody .


Of Devon Banks nineteen clients that were adjudicated disabled, eight had Elder Protective Services (Catholic Charities or Metropolitan) forcing them into temporary custody. When the Devon Bank gets custody of the money, it’s impossible for the family/loved ones to get “the ward” back when they’re notified of the guardianship because they don’t have the resources to hire an attorney (also sounds familiar).


I also only looked into their court cases that ended up with paid guardians so I don’t know if the other nineteen cases were court battles with family members winning custody. Of Devon Banks nineteen clients that were adjudicated disabled, eight had Elder Protective Services (Catholic Charities or Metropolitan) forcing them into temporary custody. When the Devon Bank gets custody of the money, it’s impossible for the family/loved ones to get “the ward” back when they’re notified of the guardianship because they don’t have the resources to hire an attorney (also sounds familiar).


Also, the attorney for the Guardian of the Estate (or Devon Bank) is the same attorney for the private paid Guardian of the Person(Familiar -Chapman & Abrams) .


No one is there to represent the loved ones or their family members. If the ward gets an attorney, it’s not one that understands guardianship and they lose their freedom because their attorneys' are unqualified to handle their cases.


In all the cases that I have, only one family member won custody. The rest lost or didn’t bother fighting because they’re up against the most impossible odds. People think, “All I have to do is tell the judge or attorney’s that I’m family and this will beover” when it’s just the beginning of a long drawn out custody battle with family members being slandered and emotionally abused. Then, after losing custody, the family members and loved ones are banned from seeing the ward, can only see them under the supervision of a caregiver or in my case, simply don’t have the heart.


Elder Protective Services is an agency designed to protect the elderly and instead it’s being used to financially exploit and abuse them. This is probably the most difficult part for those of us who were involved with this agency. The very organization that proclaims to protect Senior Citizens is perpetuating the most heinous crime against them. I don’t know how one organization can be given so much power to destroy an elderly persons life or why that agency is authorized to call “paid guardians” instead of their clients family m embers? Not only that, in all of the cases that I’ve read, not one of those elder abuse investigators explained to their client that once placed under guardianship they would lose all rights except the right to vote. (Familiar)


Surely, if they were aware of that, they’d call all their loved ones and the best attorney in town? Not all banks handle guardianships either and Devon Bank has a two star rating that is doing very poorly financially. Shortly after becoming an Estate Guardian, they liquidate every aspect of their clients’ estate (coin collections, jewelry, stocks, investment portfolios, property, cars, etc.) only to invest that money into bank stocks which yield little or very low interest. (1-4%) Liquidating assets, prized possessions or family heirlooms are not in the best interests of their clients or families. Some of these clients also had their money placed into an OBRA (Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993) or Special Needs Trust. Their money is placed into trust and they go on public aid and in Medicaid run nursing homes. I think this is a good plan for physically or mentally disabled young adults that need lifetime care. The premise of the trust is to pay for their “special needs”(which are not covered by Medicaid) like education, entertainment, personal care items and certain medical procedures. After the person passes away, the remainder of their trust goes to pay back the state (or public aid).The OBRA is being abused when it comes to setting one up for the elderly. Their homes are being liquidated (at below market value), placed into trust and they’re thrown into public aid housing only to have their OBRA wasted on “administrative fees” or attorney, guardian and trustee fees (especially when they have loved ones or family to care for them at very reasonable prices).


The premise for the trust? So the attorneys’ and guardians’ get paid for the lifetime of their client. If that. In a few short years, their fees deplete the entire OBRA Special Needs Trust and their clients really do qualify for Public Aid. If the elderly have the money (through social security and pension) to be kept off public aid then an OBRA shouldn’t even be considered. It’s also unreasonable to set one up for someone who is wealthy (and financially planned for their retirement) or in their eighties. Not to mention, why not set up an OBRA and let the elderly live in their own homes? After they pass away, their property can be given to Public Aid so they can sell it (at fair market value) to be reimbursed for the wards expenses. This would prevent attorneys’ and guardians’ setting one up only to financially exploit their client. So, in regard to an OBRA there should bean age cap, a financial cap and if capable the elderly should be allowed to live in their own homes, put on Medicaid with their properties going to the state after they die in order to have their expenses reimbursed. I’ve not only solved the whole problem but I’m sparing the taxpayers of Illinois billions of dollars in Medicaid fraud. Lastly, Devon Bank doesn’t have to be involved at all when there is an OBRA. They’re an unnecessary financial burden to the client. In regard to the clients who were forced into guardianship by an elder abuse investigator, Elder Protective Services should hire legal council and pay their legal expenses to give them back to family members or loved ones. They set them up for a lifetime of financial exploitation and abuse, they should be responsible for getting their clients out of it. In regard to all nineteen clients, Elder Protective Services, Devon Bank, the attorney's involved and paid guardians of the person should also pay restitution to the clients and their family members for emotional distress, abuse, loss of freedom and violation of their civil liberties. I’m providing you with a description of the nineteen people that are being financially exploited. I have adopted them all and consider them family. I’ve gotten to know them intimately through court records and can tell you all about them by name. I’m taking the side of “the ward” and their loved ones because they have no voice. They were trapped into guardianship by Elder Protective Services, an attorney tip or simply being in Rehab at a nursing home. I took all this information from the notes of attorneys’, Guardian ad Litem’s and Guardian of the Person and have the necessary documentation to prove each case.


Elder Protective Services is an agency designed to protect the elderly and instead it’s being used to financially exploit and abusethem. This is probably the most difficult part for those of us who were involved with this agency. The very organization thatproclaims to protect Senior Citizens is perpetuating the most heinous crime against them. I don’t know how one organization can be given so much power to destroy an elderly persons life or why that agency is authorized to call “paid guardians” instead of their clients family m embers? Not only that, in all of the cases that I’ve read, not one of those elder abuse investigators explained to their client that once placed under guardianship they would lose all rights except the right to vote. Surely, if they were aware of that, they’d call all their loved ones and the best attorney in town? Not all banks handle guardianships either and Devon Bank has a two star rating that is doing very poorly financially. Shortly after becoming an Estate Guardian, they liquidate every aspect of their clients’ estate (coin collections, jewelry, stocks, investment portfolios, property, cars, etc.) only to invest that money into bank stocks which yield little or very low interest. (1-4%) Liquidating assets, prized possessions or family heirlooms are not in the best interests of their clients or families. Some of these clients also had their money placed into an OBRA (Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993) or Special Needs Trust. Their money is placed into trust and they go on public aid and in Medicaid run nursing homes. I think this is a good plan for physically or mentally disabled young adults that need lifetime care. The premise of the trust is to pay for their “special needs”(which are not covered by Medicaid) like education, entertainment, personal care items and certain medical procedures. After the person passes away, the remainder of their trust goes to pay back the state (or public aid).The OBRA is being abused when it comes to setting one up for the elderly. Their homes are being liquidated (at below market value), placed into trust and they’re thrown into public aid housing only to have their OBRA wasted on “administrative fees” or attorney, guardian and trustee fees (especially when they have loved ones or family to care for them at very reasonable prices).The premise for the trust? So the attorneys’ and guardians’ get paid for the lifetime of their client. If that. In a few short years, their fees deplete the entire OBRA Special Needs Trust and their clients really do qualify for Public Aid.If the elderly have the money (through social security and pension) to be kept off public aid then an OBRA shouldn’t even beconsidered. It’s also unreasonable to set one up for someone who is wealthy (and financially planned for their retirement) or intheir eighties. Not to mention, why not set up an OBRA and let the elderly live in their own homes? After they pass away, their property can be given to Public Aid so they can sell it (at fair market value) to be reimbursed for the wards expenses. This wouldprevent attorneys’ and guardians’ setting one up only to financially exploit their client. So, in regard to an OBRA there should bean age cap, a financial cap and if capable the elderly should be allowed to live in their own homes, put on Medicaid with their properties going to the state after they die in order to have their expenses reimbursed. I’ve not only solved the whole problembut I’m sparing the taxpayers of Illinois billions of dollars in Medicaid fraud. Lastly, Devon Bank doesn’t have to be involved at allwhen there is an OBRA. They’re an unnecessary financial burden to the client. In regard to the clients who were forced into guardianship by an elder abuse investigator, Elder Protective Services should hirelegal council and pay their legal expenses to give them back to family members or loved ones. They set them up for a lifetime of financial exploitation and abuse, they should be responsible for getting their clients out of it. In regard to all nineteen clients,Elder Protective Services, Devon Bank, the attorney's involved and paid guardians of the person should also pay restitution tothe clients and their family members for emotional distress, abuse, loss of freedom and violation of their civil liberties.I’m providing you with a description of the nineteen people that are being financially exploited. I have adopted them all andconsider them family. I’ve gotten to know them intimately through court records and can tell you all about them by name. I’mtaking the side of “the ward” and their loved ones because they have no voice. They were trapped into guardianship by Elder Protective Services, an attorney tip or simply being in Rehab at a nursing home. I took all this information from the notes of attorneys’, Guardian ad Litem’s and Guardian of the Person and have the necessary documentation to prove each case.


The question I’m trying to answer: did Devon Bank get involved and take over the lives of these nineteen people? At the end of 2009, I published my story online. As you can see (page 4), the last five clients that were adjudicated disabledwere awarded to loved ones instead of ‘private paid guardians’ of the person. With the help of the Internet, it seems I have matters under control (although Devon Bank is still winning full custody over their money). I would appreciate your assistance in getting this crime to stop. What if something happens to me? Kidnapping the wealthy off the city streets and forcing them into ‘private guardianship’ is quite a moneymaker. (See pages 5 through 8.)


These poor souls in my report are becoming wards of the court, are being adjudicated disabled then having their lives designed so the predators associated with Devon Bank can profit. They areliving lives that they never wanted to live or imagine for themselves, being stripped of all rights and ability to make choices. Sadly, most don’t live very long but long enough for these opportunists to loot their entire estate. It’s the PERFECT CRIME.


because you’re all going to say that you can’t get involved because they’re in litigation or they need to hire an attorney. Their money is a little tied up and they have no access to it but if given the opportunity, I’m sure they would. Why not ask the ones who are still living?

I’m requesting a full investigation into the Trust Department at Devon Bank, Josh Mitzen of Advocacy Services, Thomas Kleinhenz of Rehab Assist, Shay Jacobson of LifeCare Innovations, Pamela Chwala of Nursing Resources, Janna Dutton of Dutton & Casey Elder Law, Paul Franciszkowicz of J. Peter Latz, Amy McCarty of Monahan & Cohen, Home Instead Caregiving Agency in Chicago (on Marine Drive), Elder Abuse investigators; Helen Grimaldi, Tamara Halloway-Lee, Jennifer Smith, SandyPelka, Brandy Kukurba and Laurie Sherry.I would like to thank you in advance for your time and consideration in this matter.













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