Houston solo Joe Phillips in trouble over his guardianship practice

Joe Phillips has had a solo practice in Houston for several years, in which he serves as a court-appointed guardian to incompetent military veterans who need help managing their government benefits. But a Southern District of Texas grand jury returned anindictment June 24 that accuses Phillips and his wife, Dorothy, who serves as his legal assistant, of helping themselves to $2 million of veterans’ money. In 2007, an audit by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs of Joe Phillips’ client files showed that they were “either incomplete, misleading or inaccurate,” notes the indictment. The department later removed Joe Phillips as guardian and later claimed he and his wife “did willfully and unlawfully transfer monies from veteran client bank accounts to their joint personal checking account.” The indictment charges Joe Phillips with misappropriation by a fiduciary and both Joe and Dorothy Phillips with tax fraud, among other things. The Phillipses did not immediately return a call for comment. Neither did Vernon Lewis, an assistant U.S. attorney prosecuting the case. The Public Access to Court Document Electronic Records system did not list a criminal defense lawyer for the Phillipses.
--- John Council

Comments

[lynette smith]

this is so wrong! these people put trust in the courts an this lawyer. sad sad sad. what does this show for our justice system an attorneys ? the sad part about this none of the people that there money was taken was notified of it. these 2 people will have to meet there maker an awnser to god for all there lies and stealing...

[Patricia Pondoff, White Oak]

The Texas Guardianship program is nothing more than a tool for involuntary redistribution of assets from the wards estates that is not only condoned by the Courts, Judges and Attorneys but is sanctioned with their stamp of approval.

They also on numerous guardianship cases move to take control of the proposed wards estate first and placing all of the wards assets in a management trust, leaving the proposed ward indigent, therefore when the guardianship hearing for the ward takes place the attorney can declare the proposed ward indigent and the county taxpayers have to pay his fees and the ward qualifies for medicaid and medicare also at the taxpayers expense.

The Court is in charge of the trust account and the distribution of the money which is not used to take care of the ward but is in fact used for their own personal gain and to cover attorney fees, which to me is double dipping and should constitute medicaid and medicare fraud.