Former attorney Matthew Roby consented to a five-year prison term for grand theft of more than $100,000 and exploitation of an elderly person.
Detectives say he allegedly took millions from Helen Kuhn, an elderly woman. Investigators claim that Roby got power of attorney over Kuhn through deceit and stole $3 million from her accounts. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office reports:
“Today, Roby accepted a plea deal that would sentence him to five years in prison for elder abuse and grand theft of more than $100,000.”
Matthew Roby was debarred after his arrest in 2021. He is no longer allowed to practice law in Florida. According to reports, Roby’s deception was known to Kuhn, who passed away earlier this month at the age of 108. After getting a hefty tax bill in 2019, Kuhn was accused.
Roby informed her she had to pay for it when she asked him about it. Kuhn went to the sheriff’s office when she started to feel uneasy. It took many years of investigation to determine how Matthew Roby came to possess her power of attorney. The defendant transferred her funds to another bank and even used some of them.
On June 24, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office announced that Winter Park attorney Matthew Roby, who once defended Helen Kuhn, would serve a five-year jail sentence.
Fascinatingly, Roby’s father had previously represented Kuhn in legal matters. In 2014, Ronald Roby was also kicked out of the bar for stealing money. Tens of thousands of dollars were allegedly stolen by Ronald from one of his client’s accounts.
The vivacious personality of Helen Kuhn was well recognized. She got her first marriage at age 60, got her pilot’s license, and continued to drive until she was 101.
Helen spent 35 years as a teacher, continued to fly until she was 93, and continued to drive until she was 101.
Kuhn’s close friend also said that she was knowledgeable about finances. One in ten Americans, according to Karen Murillo, an advocacy manager for AARP Florida, are victims of “some sort of elder abuse.” Murillo added that there had been an uptick in lawyer exploitation cases recently. She said this when talking about the subject:
“Unfortunately, this is not the first time that a lawyer has been called in. I’ll tell you that proximity to an old or fragile senior is a factor in exploitation.
“Unfortunately, there is more exploitation today. The situation is getting worse across the nation, with victims of exploitation losing an average of $120,000 annually, as we can see.
Chris Williams, an Economic Crimes Investigator, claims that deputies were successful in recovering more than $2.4 million that had been taken from Kuhn. There could be additional casualties, according to officials. The contact number for anyone with information is 407-836-4357.
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