Connecticut Woman Invokes "Estate Planning Defense" After Allegedly Abusing POA To Hijack Title To Elderly Mom's Home & Loot $72K From Bank Accounts

In Milford, Connecticut, The New Haven Register reports:

• An Ansonia woman accused of taking ownership of her elderly mother’s house against her mother’s wishes, and stealing more than $72,000 from her mother’s bank accounts has until the end of the month to consider a plea offer following a brief court appearance Monday. Donna D. Kingston, 61, faces three counts each of first- and second-degree larceny for allegedly abusing the power of attorney her elderly mother gave her over finances, prosecutors said.

• Kingston is accused of emptying $72,000 from her 89-year-old mother’s bank accounts into her own in June and July 2007. She is also accused of using the power of attorney over her mother’s finances to take full ownership of her mother’s house in Ansonia, appraised at $263,000, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.

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• Kingston, who was arrested is September, admitted to moving her mother’s money into accounts only she could access and taking sole ownership of her mother’s house, but said she did it with her mother’s permission, according to court documents. Kingston allegedly told investigators that it was part of estate planning to protect her mother’s assets from going to the state if she were to become infirm. Investigators said Kingston breached her fiduciary duty and state law by taking control of her mother’s assets.

For more, see Woman weighs plea in family theft case.