How can you defraud your mother? That was probably the thought of witness and close friend of Brooke Astor, Henry Kissinger.
In 2007, well-known New York socialite and philanthropist Brooke Astor passed away at the age of 105. Today, however, her name is still running through headlines as her son Anthony D. Marshall, 85, has been found guilty of being involved in a conspiracy to defraud his late mother of her nearly $200-million fortune.
Marshall, a former U.S. ambassador and Tony Award-winning Broadway producer, has been undergoing a five-month trial for allegedly coercing his mother into unknowingly signing away millions of dollars to him.
Before her death due to pneumonia, Astor suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. During this time, Marshall, along with estate attorney Francis Morrissey, allegedly “tricked” Astor into signing a number of misleading papers in a private meeting in 2004. Because of her confused and unaware state, Astor unknowingly signed away millions of dollars to her son thinking all of the money was going to various charities.
According to close friends and family, Astor’s Alzheimer’s was so intense that she was unable to recognize the people close to her.
Marshall Found Guilty
The case came to light five months ago, and after 11 days of deliberation the jury found Marshall guilty on 14 of the 16 counts against him. Witnesses on the stand included Marshall’s close friends including Barbara Walters and Henry Kissinger, along with Astor’s former nurses, maids and butler who aided her through the years of her illness.
The charges against Marshall included grand larceny, which involved the theft of cash and expensive art pieces, possession of a variety of stolen property, and conspiracy to defraud the late Astor. With these charges, Marshall could receive up to 25 years in prison. Morrissey, on the other hand, was convicted on five charges against him, including conspiracy, scheming to defraud and forgery for altering Astor’s will. He could spend up to seven years in prison.
Marshall, how come you just didn’t ask instead of stealing from your own mother?
