Latest news with #RobertKlingensmith
CBS News
2 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Man says Westmoreland County lawyer involved in bloody standoff stole $300K from his mom's estate
A man says he's shocked after a Westmoreland County lawyer who allegedly took advantage of his late mother's estate shot himself in his Murrysville office and was tased after a standoff with police. Police said Robert Klingensmith shot and wounded himself in his office before they tased him for ignoring repeated demands to stop moving while they served a search warrant. It was all caught on camera. John Wiley, who says Klingensmith stole more than $300,000 from his mom's estate, can't believe what happened. Not only was Klingensmith the attorney for the estate of Anne Marie Wiley, but he was also considered a friend of the family, making the alleged crime, according to John, even more disgusting. "I think I'm still trying to absorb and digest everything that has happened," John Wiley said. When Wiley needed an estate planning attorney for his mother, he knew exactly who to turn to: family friend Robert Klingensmith. Wiley thought Klingesmith had his family's best interest at heart. "He was a friend of my brother and his son was friends with one of my nephews, so he seemed pretty trusting," Wiley said. In 2021, Klingensmith was appointed an agent under Anne Marie Wiley's power of attorney, which gave him access to all her financial accounts. Unbeknownst to Wiley, who lives in Florida, over the next few months, Klingensmith allegedly pocketed nearly $100,000 from her accounts by writing checks to the law firm and making ATM withdrawals. "Me being in Florida, I was kind of talked into, you know, pretty much giving him full rein of the estate," Wiley said. When Wiley's mom died in April of 2022, he says Klingensmith stopped taking his calls and he never saw a dime from her estate, which was worth more than $300,000. That was the first time, he says, he thought something was off, so he reached out to the disciplinary board of the Supreme Court. "She was trying to the best of her ability to save everything she could to leave to me and my nephews and niece," Wiley said. "That breaks my heart," he added. During the course of the investigation, detectives learned Klingensmith closed Anne Marie Wiley's accounts and withdrew the $91,000. They say he also sold her share of an apartment building, which netted $131,500. Wiley says his family may never see the money, but he hopes justice will be served. "I just want him to realize what he did, that it really has hurt all of us, and that he, you know, betrayed our trust," Wiley said. Klingensmith is still recovering in the hospital. He's facing charges of theft and financial exploitation of an older adult.
CBS News
3 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Westmoreland County attorney wounded by self-inflicted gunshot during arrest, police say
A Westmoreland County attorney accused of stealing from a woman's estate was arrested after a brief standoff with police on Saturday. The attorney, Robert Klingensmith, was subsequently hospitalized with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. The standoff was at Klingensmith's law office around 5:30 p.m. Police were serving a search warrant. Video sent to KDKA-TV shows police tasing Klingensmith, who began walking toward the police but refused to comply with an officer's orders, prompting the use of the taser. Klingensmith then falls to the ground, where he is handcuffed. Klingensmith had been charged with theft and exploiting an older or care-dependent person. The district attorney's office said Klingensmith was the representative for a woman who died, and it's alleged that Klingensmith failed to pay money from this woman's estate to her heirs. Instead, officials say he transferred more than $300,000 from the woman's account to his personal account. KDKA-TV also spoke with the woman who recorded the video. "I mean, he was kind of barreling towards them. I mean, that could have ended a different way, you know, not a taser. So, I think they did what they had to do to get them down on the ground and handcuffed," Kate Dusch said. "It was scary. It was definitely scary while it was happening, almost crazy to think that that happened right there." Medical staff attempted to perform "life-preserving surgery" on Klingensmith Saturday night. His condition remains unknown, but he is in custody.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Westmoreland County attorney arrested during standoff with police serving warrant
A Westmoreland County attorney accused of stealing from a woman's estate was arrested after a standoff with officers who were serving a warrant, authorities say. Police arrested Robert Klingensmith, 61, of Murrysville, at his office on Old William Penn Highway in Murrysville on Saturday, according to a Westmoreland County District Attorney's Office spokesperson. The warrant for his arrest was issued last week. Klingensmith reportedly sustained a self-inflicted gunshot wound during the 'brief' standoff with police. Officials say he underwent life-preserving surgery, but his condition is not known. PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Westmoreland County attorney accused of stealing over $300K from woman's estate Leading up to his arrest, Klingensmith was charged with theft, financial exploitation of an older adult or care-dependent person and theft by failure to make required payment or disposition of funds. Authorities claim that Klingensmith stole money from a woman's estate that he was hired to handle, using ATM withdrawals and/or checks. He allegedly removed more than $311,000 from the account between August 2021 to March 2024. Investigators also claim Klingensmith failed to file an inheritance tax return, tax payments or distribute money to the victim's four heirs. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
