Prosecutor-elect pleads guilty to stealing

Harrison County Prosecutor-elect Richard Turner on Wednesday admitted in federal court to stealing more than half a million dollars from an elderly client.

Turner, a Bethany, Missouri attorney, became attorney-in-fact through a durable power of attorney for an elderly client, Dorothy Bush, in October 2004, according to information released from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Western District of Missouri.

The power of attorney specified that if Bush became incapacitated, Turner could conduct financial transactions and pay taxes on her behalf and conduct business in which she is interested party. When Bush entered a nursing home in 2010, records indicate she had short-term memory impairment.

In March 2011, Turner created a trust for Bush, naming himself the trustee — Bush signed the trust, and Turner notarized it himself without other witnesses, the information said. The trust allowed Turner to make payments for Bush’s care and to sell assets, invest funds, sell property or pay debt, and any remaining funds were to go to friends, family and charity after Bush’s death.

Turner was not authorized to use money in the trust for personal expenses.

However, soon Turner started an embezzling scheme in which he would deposit Bush’s money into his personal accounts, including selling her farmland and transferring most of the profits to his own account. He also made debit payments to his law firm using money from the trust.

In total, Turner admitted that he attempted to obtain more than $728,000 from Bush for personal use and successfully obtained $540,803.86, including 20 payments to his law firm that totaled nearly $40,000. Turner spent the money on personal expenses including a swimming pool and heavy spending in stores and restaurants, according to the information. He also used the money to support his clothing store, Richard’s/ TD Clothiers.

Turner did not pay taxes on the embezzled funds, which meant he owed $128,309 in taxes, on top of the roughly $25,000 he owed for not paying taxes in 2011 and 2012. In total he owes $154,453.

Turner pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge David Kays to wire fraud, false statements on his tax returns and asset forfeiture.

Turner formerly held the position of prosecutor in Harrison County. He had been re-elected on Nov. 4.