Authorities launched a criminal investigation into allegations of fraud made against a former Cook County judge, Patricia Martin, on Monday. Martin, who resigned as presiding judge in the child protection division last year, has been accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from an elderly man and using the funds to buy cryptocurrency.
In addition, prosecutors have filed a petition for criminal contempt against Martin, which could bring criminal penalties upon her. This is on top of her already being disbarred and ordered by a judge to pay a default judgment of more than $1.1 million in the civil case.
The #frauds complaint was initially filed in May to the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission, who handles allegations of lawyer misconduct.
