This is not a think piece.
This is a notice.
To Florida probate judges, attorneys, professional guardians, fiduciary agencies and banks, elder-affairs organizations/nonprofits, and anyone who looked the other way while vulnerable people were stripped of their assets:
Beware.
Because the Department of Justice just showed the country what accountability looks like — and Florida should assume it’s next.
Last week, federal prosecutors indicted a sitting Michigan judge and her inner circle for running a years-long probate embezzlement scheme that preyed on incapacitated adults.
Estates were looted. Settlements vanished. Money meant for care was rerouted for cars, businesses, and personal gain.
That case matters for one reason above all others:
When bad actors surface in one state, they are more than likely in every state.
Probate Corruption Is a Network — Not a Fluke
Let’s be clear about how this works.
These are not isolated “mistakes.”
They are not one-off ethical lapses.
They are schemes.
Bottom-feeders find each other. Judges. Lawyers. Guardians. Facility operators. “Experts.” They form quiet ecosystems where no one asks questions, no one audits deeply, and everyone gets paid — sometimes millions — while families are shut out and wards deteriorate.
The result?
- Families destroyed
- Generational wealth wiped out
- Homes sold
- Voices silenced
- Lives shortened
And when loved ones speak up, they’re labeled “difficult,” “emotional,” or “uncooperative” — and punished for it.
Florida Knows This Story — We’ve Been Writing About It for Years
Florida has introduced bills to curb guardianship and probate abuse. They rarely see daylight. They die quietly. No hearings. No urgency. No accountability.
Why?
Because exposure threatens a system that has grown far too comfortable with operating in the dark.
At Eye on Jacksonville, we have already documented this crisis:
- Florida seniors and Baby Boomers losing their freedoms – literally! They are not allowed to see family members, have their phones taken from them and become “wards” of a corrupt system. We have the stories and there are many!
- Wills, trusts, and end-of-life wishes overridden by Probate Judges and if you want to fight the courts about these decisions – it costs you hundreds of thousands of dollars which most of you don’t have.
- Courts protecting professional guardians instead of the people they were paid to protect.
And here’s what Florida’s probate industry should understand clearly:
We are not guessing. We are tracking.
Yes — We Have a Database
We maintain a growing database of Florida families who have experienced probate and guardianship abuse.
Not anecdotes.
Not rumors.
Names. Documents. Timelines. Asset transfers. Court orders. Financial outcomes.
Patterns repeat. Players repeat. Wealth concentrates in the same hands. Public trust is converted into private luxury.
If the U.S. Department of Justice wants help, they won’t have to start from scratch.
We will share the stories.
We will share the facts.
We will share the financial trails.
Because this isn’t about politics. It’s about crime hiding behind robes, titles, and nonprofit letterhead.
Michigan Gave Families Hope — Florida Is on Deck
The Michigan indictment sent a message that should echo loudly through Florida courthouses:
Judicial office is not immunity.
Probate court is not a safe harbor for corruption.
And silence is no longer protection.
To those misusing public trust to enrich themselves at the expense of the vulnerable:
Tick.
Tock.
And to the families who have been screaming into the void for years:
We see you.
We believe you.
And for the first time in a long time — there is real reason to hope.
Department of Justice: Shine a light on the Sunshine State. If you think Michigan was bad – you ain’t see nothing yet!
