Former attorney Matthew Roby accepted to a five-year jail sentence for Exploitation of an Elderly Person and Grand Theft of more than $100,000. He allegedly stole millions from an elderly lady named Helen Kuhn, according to detectives. Roby obtained power of attorney over Kuhn via deception, according to investigators, and siphoned $3 million from her accounts. According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office:
“Roby agreed to a plea agreement today that would place him in jail for 5 years for Elder Abuse and Grand Theft of more than $100,000.”
Was anyone else looking after her? This is horrible.
— ☕eddie of The Shire 🐉 (@VentiMochaLite) June 24, 2022
Matthew Roby was arrested in 2021 and later disbarred. In Florida, he is no longer permitted to practice law. According to accounts, Kuhn, who died earlier this month at the age of 108, became aware of Roby’s deception years ago. Kuhn was suspected after receiving a high tax bill in 2019. When she approached Roby about it, he told her she had to pay for it. When Kuhn became suspicious, she went to the sheriff’s office. After many years of research, it was discovered that Matthew Roby had somehow obtained her power of attorney. The accused moved her money to another bank and even spent part of it.
Matthew Roby, a disgraced attorney, must pay for his misdeeds
On June 24, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office stated that Winter Park lawyer Matthew Roby, who represented the now-deceased Helen Kuhn, will be imprisoned for five years. Interestingly, before his son, Roby’s father was also Kuhn’s attorney. Ronald Roby was also expelled from the bar in 2014 for theft of money. Ronald allegedly stole tens of thousands of dollars from one of his customers’ accounts.
Matthew Roby’s fraud victim Helen Kuhn
Helen Kuhn was well-known for her outgoing demeanor. She married for the first time at the age of 60, then received her pilot’s license and drove until she was 101.
Orange County authorities said about her:
“Helen taught for 35 years, flew aircraft until she was 93, and drove until she was 101.”
Kuhn’s close buddy also said that she was skilled with money. According to Karen Murillo, an advocacy manager for AARP Florida, one out of every ten Americans is a victim of “some type of elder abuse.” Murillo further said that incidents of attorney exploitation had increased in recent years. Speaking about the subject, she stated:
“Unfortunately, this is not the first instance of an attorney being used. I’ll tell you that exploitation happens because of a person’s closeness to an elderly or vulnerable adult.”
She went on to say:
“Unfortunately, exploitation is on the increase. What we’re witnessing is that it’s becoming worse throughout the country, with victims of exploitation losing an average of $120,000 every year.”
According to Economic Crimes Detective Chris Williams, deputies were able to retrieve more than $2.4 million taken from Kuhn. Officials believe there might be more casualties. Anyone with information should contact 407-836-4357.
