A woman is suing over her money being converted for personal use by a personal guardian close to the family.
Jean Williams filed a complaint July 17 in Madison County Circuit Court against Vanguard Group Inc. and Judith Brown.
Williams created an account in 1996 with Vanguard in the amount of $86,597.19, and another two years later in the amount of $40,000.
According to the lawsuit, the accounts were to be paid on death to Judith Brown, the guardian of Connie Williams.
Without the plaintiff's authority, however, Vanguard changed the designation to "show that both Judith Brown and Connie Williams were co-owners of the account," the lawsuit states.
Starting in summer 2014, after Jean Williams suffered a stroke, Brown began to allegedly withdraw "significant" sums from the account, which were eventually converted for personal use, the lawsuit states.
The plaintiff, currently in a nursing home, "has been deprived of large sums of money of which he is in need of to support himself and to pay his nursing home bills," the lawsuit states.
The plaintiff, citing, conversion and negligence, seeks damages of more than $100,000, plus costs.
The plaintiff is represented by Ronald A. Roth of Roth Law Offices in Granite City.
Madison County Circuit Court case number 15L912.