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.
Local News
Man awaiting trial dies
- Local News
-
-
Mike Pound: Food competitions combine to make culinary heaven
It’s such a great idea, you wonder why someone didn’t think of it before. In fact, it’s such a good idea that it’s possible it came about by accident.
-
Mo. court strikes down part of 2008 harassment law
The Missouri Supreme Court has struck down part of a state harassment law enacted after the suicide of a St. Charles County teenager who was teased over the Internet.
-
Cattle rustlers strike again in SW Mo. county
The plague of cattle rustling goes on in southwest Missouri’s Greene County.
Sheriff Jim Arnott says the latest episode occurred sometime Sunday in Walnut Grove. -
Bids sought for Cherokee County water treatment plant
After many delays, construction bids are being sought for a water treatement plant and water tank for the Spring River Public Wholesale Water District No. 19.
-
Dog helps some get through the court process
Sophie, a mutt of a dog with draping ears and dotted brows, is helping people in St. Louis County court tell stories of crime to judges, investigators and attorneys.
-
Jasper County 911 administrative lines down
Though all Jasper County emergency 911 telephone lines are functional, administrative and non-emergency lines for the county dispatching service have been down since Monday night.
-
Study suggests continued population drop in Kansas
A decades-long decline in population is likely to continue in Kansas, particularly in the west of the state, and four counties could have fewer than 1,000 residents by 2040, according to a study by Wichita State University’s Center for Economic Development and Business Research.
-
Tornado victim’s recovery ‘miraculous’
Carolyn Mckinlay did not know much about baseball, but she knew it was important to watch the sixth game of last year’s World Series. It was important because her future husband, Mark Lindquist, had a ticket to see his beloved Cardinals take on the Texas Rangers in the seventh game at St. Louis.
-
Family of service honored at Memorial Day ceremony
Lt. Col. Robert Brock returned to his hometown Monday and told an audience of about 500 residents and veterans gathered at the Pittsburg State University Veterans Memorial that Memorial Day is a celebration of family — America’s family of service.
-
Master developer working on project possibilities
A Texas developer who Joplin officials intend to hire to help with the city’s post-tornado development says he has secured commitments for about $400 million in capital to fund about 20 possible projects.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Mike Pound: Food competitions combine to make culinary heaven
