Former judge loses law license after robbing Tuskegee Airmen uncle of $240,000: Report

A former judge in Chicago lost her license to practice law following accusations that she robbed her uncle, a World War II veteran of the Tuskegee Airmen, of more than $240,000 to purchase cryptocurrency.

Patricia Martin stated she misappropriated funding that had been entrusted to her by Oscar Wilkerson Jr., her uncle, and his power of attorney, according to a report.

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The misappropriation purportedly occurred while the former Tuskegee airman stayed in a nursing home and Martin was disbarred on consent, Thursday filings from the Illinois Supreme Court noted.

“She intentionally used for her own purposes more than $240,000 she had agreed to hold for an elderly relative who was residing in a nursing home, made false statements to the physician who held her relative’s power of attorney about the balances in his bank and investment accounts, and did not produce documents in response to an ARDC subpoena,” according to the court’s Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission.

Martin retired from her position as a circuit judge for the Cook County Circuit Court in 2020 after 24 years and admitted to stealing her uncle’s life savings earlier this year, the report noted.

“On December 5, 2022, [Martin] filed an answer to the complaint in which she admitted that she had wrongfully assumed control over Mr. Wilkerson’s property,” court documents read. “She had no authority to use his funds for any purpose other than for his benefit and that she had intentionally deprived him of funds to which he was entitled.”

Dr. Maceo Ellison, who holds the true power of attorney for Wilkerson, charged Martin with helping to manage her uncle’s finances, including his bank account, 401(k), and Social Security information, according to the report.

Ellison became suspicious of fraud after Brookdale Senior Living, where Wilkerson was placed, reached out to him in 2022.

The home said Wilkerson’s care had not been paid for in months and that a balance of “more than $41,000” was owed.

An attorney, Eric Puryear, was hired to help Ellison and Wilkerson investigate the handling of the World War II veteran’s finances, and Martin’s actions came into the light, according to the report.

“The evidence would clearly and convincingly establish the facts and conclusions of misconduct,” Martin said, per court documents.

Before his death in September 2022, the 97-year-old Wilkerson filed suit against Martin, and Illinois’s legal disciplinary agency proved that Martin had buried $110,000 of her uncle’s money into cryptocurrency.

The disgraced judge was ordered to pay $1.1 million to her uncle’s estate but argued that since her uncle had passed, she should not have to pay.

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“The plaintiff’s death suspends the court’s jurisdiction in this matter,” her lawyer argued.

“If you can’t trust a judge, who can you trust?” said Ken Rapier, a friend of Wilkerson. “It really upsets me when somebody takes advantage of the Tuskegee Airmen.”