Elderly scam in Lewis County

This just in from my friend, Don Lynch:

I don’t know how widespread this is, but I do know it is happening on a continued basis right here in Lewis County. I don’t know all the parties either. I had thought it was centered on Riverside Nursing and Rehab Center in Centralia. However, I have since come across a case where the man is not in a nursing home, he has home care. The one name I see most often is attorney Scott Blinks of Vander Stoep, Remund, Blinks and Jones in Chehalis. But he is not the only one.

How it works is an elderly, disabled person with money and/or assets is identified. Someone goes to court and alleges the person is not competent and petitions for appointment of a guardian. A guardian ad litem is appointed for the victim. The guardian ad litem then bring a doctor to interview the victim to see if he is competent. The interview consists of firing questions at the victim so fast he or she cannot answer.

The guardian ad litem then makes his report to the court that the person could not answer questions and is not competent to take care of his or her own needs. The judge, looking at all these reports, and not having the victim in the court, approves the arrangement.

Everyone who put the scam together gets paid, full bore, out of the assets of the victim. Heck of a deal, isn’t it?

I first became aware of this about a year ago when I was asked to notarize a document for an elderly woman here in Winlock. She had been in Riverside, and in spite of having family close by, she also had assets and they were going to get them. She escaped, but everyone who was in on the scam against her got paid out of her money. She couldn’t get around much, but her mind was clear. Since then, more and more cases keep coming up.

This has got to be stopped. Someone has to take an interest in protecting these vulnerable people. Does anyone care? What is going to happen to me for bringing it up? Or is it already happening?

Don Lynch
360-785-4519