Man awaiting trial dies

June 02, 2009 10:27 pm

—

By Greg Grisolano
ggrisolano@joplinglobe.com
GIRARD, Kan. — A 74-year-old Arma man died Monday while awaiting trial on a felony charge accusing him and his wife of bilking more than $900,000 out of a 97-year-old woman.
Ernest “Sonny” Anselmi, who was charged with mistreating a dependent adult, died Monday at a hospital in Joplin, Mo.
Anselmi and his wife, Ernestine Anselmi, 74, were charged last year by Kansas Attorney General Stephen Six with bilking $923,897 out of Lena Zanichelli, for whom they were serving as unofficial caregivers. Six’s office filed charges against Ernestine Anselmi in September and against Ernest Anselmi in October.
The couple were scheduled to appear for pretrial conferences Aug. 17 in Crawford County District Court in Girard. A jury trial had been scheduled for Aug. 24, according to court records.
A spokeswoman for the Kansas attorney general’s office did not return messages left on Tuesday. Kurt Kerns, a Wichita attorney representing Ernest Anselmi, was unavailable for comment Tuesday.
When reached by phone, Ernestine Anselmi’s attorney, Eddie Battitori, of Pittsburg, declined to comment.
A woman who answered the phone at a listing for Ernest Anselmi declined to identify herself or to comment about the case.
According to court documents, the Anselmis had been acting as “unofficial guardians” for Zanichelli since at least May 2008.
The charges allege that the couple used “undue influence, coercion, deception, and false representation” to make payments to themselves and others on their behalf from funds that belonged to Zanichelli. The acts are alleged to have taken place from May 14 to Aug. 11, 2008.
Zanichelli died in late March. Attempts to reach her niece, Tina Vanderelzen, were unsuccessful Tuesday.

Wife’s case

A Crawford County District Court employee on Tuesday said the case against Ernestine Anselmi is expected to proceed.