NY doctor accused of stealing from his mother

[Hawaii Hiker]

in the tune of around $800,000.....

He used part of what he stole to pay $400,000 in credit card debt....That's quite a bit of credit card debt!....Maybe he put medical school on the card, LOL...Either that or a new Bentley perhaps....


NY Doctor Charged With Taking Mom's Cash
By SAMUEL MAULL

NEW YORK (AP) - A physician was charged Wednesday with stealing his 94-year-old mother's life savings of more than $800,000 and leaving her virtually impoverished.

``He took pretty much all that she had,'' Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau said Wednesday when he announced the indictment of Dr. Robin Motz. He said Motz' mother, Minnie, now lives on a small pension and Social Security.

Motz, 68, was accused of stealing $832,453 from his mother after taking control of her finances through a power of attorney in 2003.

Morgenthau said Motz spent the money on flat screen TVs and other luxuries, travel to the Bahamas, Mexico and Hong Kong, and on his vacation house in Hillsdale, N.Y.

``This is a mini-Astor case,'' Morgenthau said, referring to charges pending against Anthony Marshall, who is accused of massive thefts from his mother, society grande dame and philanthropist Brooke Astor.

Motz was arraigned in Manhattan's state Supreme Court where he pleaded not guilty to second-degree grand larceny and second-degree money laundering. He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted on either count.

Motz' lawyer, Sean Dwyer, said his client ``is devastated by this, but we're looking forward to the chance to defend him.''

Justice John Cataldo released Motz on $200,000 cash bail and scheduled his next court date for Jan. 30.

Motz, who lives on the Upper East Side with his third wife, is an internist who practices in Englewood, N.J., and has admitting privileges at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan.

Minnie Motz, a retired librarian, was mentally alert but had some physical ailments, Morgenthau said. He said Motz told his mother he was using her power of attorney - the legal right to make decisions for her - to consolidate her bank accounts to aid him in paying her bills.

In early 2004, Morgenthau said, Motz moved his mother's investment accounts from Oppenheimer & Co. to Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc. where he had an account. He depleted the accounts by paying his own $400,000 credit card bills, paying a contractor $200,000 for working on his vacation house, paying his racket club dues, and giving large cash gifts to his children.

Motz' mother learned of her financial predicament when her Upper West Side co-op levied a special assessment to cover the cost of rebuilding a retaining wall which had collapsed and she was unable to pay it.

With Minnie Motz facing eviction, the building's management called a social worker who contacted the district attorney's Elder Abuse Unit. That unit started an immediate investigation, Morgenthau said.

[MADem]

1. Scuzzy bastard. That's dispicable.

I think they oughta horsewhip the sumbitch. Hell, give everybody a chance to take a crack at the bum, at a buck a hit. Granny would have her money back in no time!

They ought to strip this shit of his license to practice, too--his judgment obviously SUCKS, to say nothing of his absence of an ethical core.

Do you have a link to the rest of the article?

[Hawaii Hiker]

5. Actually, I attached the entire article:

In the past when I've tried to copy a story from Netscape's home page, often had trouble getting it to work...This story wasn't that lengthy, so I attached it all...

If it wasn't in todays NYT, probably tommorow for sure....

[MADem]

2. Scuzzy bastard. That's dispicable. Yes, I said it again! (actually, I doubleclicked)

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. How long before we see this on Law & Order?

Oh, they'll plop in a murder somewhere, too.

[NanceGreggs]

7. Concerned neighbor notices ...

... that Minnie hasn't emptied her mailbox for days and, after banging on Minnie's door and getting no response, calls NYPD.

Cops break in and find poor Minnie dead from malnutrition, notice that her vital meds ran out weeks ago and the prescription hasn't been refilled. Also note the pile of slipped-under-the-door eviction notices that clutter the foyer.

"Why did an old broad, who can afford to live in this building, die of starvation and a lack of medication, and why did she not pay her bills to the point of eviction?" So asks the on-the-scene cops.

Once notified of the death, the tearful, almost hysterical son has no explanation for his mother's situation and her sudden, inexplicable demise. "I tried to put her financial house in order so many times," he says between sobs, "but she was hard-headed and wouldn't listen to reason."

Van Buren smells a rat - and the investigation ensues.

McCoy is appalled when he sees the results of said investigation - the son's bank accounts tell the whole, horrific story.

The trial of son finally winds up, and McCoy delivers his closing remarks to the jury - there isn't a dry eye in the house.

Son convicted - end of show.




Do ya think I've been watching this program too long? No, really, be honest ...

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

11. Rene Balcer might come looking for you

to help write next year's shows. I'd still like to see you take up Molly Ivon's old column.

[DCKit]

4. Don't they have to publish his political affilitiation with these kinds of charges?

As if we can't figure it out on our own.

[Rageneau]

9. Exactly what I was thinking.

[malaise]

6. What a scumbag!!

How do you rob your 94 year old mother. Well his glitzy life is over. Fugg him.

[Fed_Up_Grammy]

8. He should be forced to sell both of his homes and then she

should update her will,and fast!

[MADem]

10. Yeah, Fluffy gets EVERYTHING, the SPCA is executor, and when Fluffy croaks, it goes to the

shelter maintenance fund!!!