First of many expected lawsuits just filed against for-hire
"guardian" Jared E. Shafer and two of his employees

Multiple complaints of stealing from elderly or disabled "wards"

..

INSIDE VEGAS by Steve Miller
AmericanMafia.com
May 12, 2014

LAS VEGAS - Long time Professional Fiduciary Services of Nevada, Inc. (PFSN, Inc.) Registered Guardian Patience M. Bristol awaits sentencing on May 28, 2014 in the court of Clark County District Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez. Bristol's boss Jared E. Shafer has not yet been charged with a crime, and proclaims that she never worked for him.

On October 3, 2013, the State of Nevada issued a 21 count felony arrest warrant for Bristol who had been employed at PFSN, Inc. for over ten years. During that time, Jared Shafer had assigned her PFSN, Inc. "wards" for guardianship services. In Bristol's plea bargain, she admits to stealing the assets of elderly and disabled  wards assigned to her.

Bristol has struck a plea bargain with Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson who agreed to drop all but one of the 21 felony charges. But plea bargains are not set in stone. Judge Gonzalez still has the option of honoring the plea bargain on May 28, or throwing the book at Bristol.

On March 19, 2012, a year and a half before Bristol was arrested, a family member of one of Bristol's former PFSN, Inc. wards filed the second of two complaints with the Center For Guardianship Certification (CGC), the agency that certifies private guardians, trying to forewarn them about PFSN, Inc. and Bristol's exploitative actions.

On May 1, 2014, the first of several expected civil lawsuits was filed in Nevada State Court against JARED E. SHAFER, his firm PFSN, Inc.; Shafer's office manager, secretary, and bookkeeper AMY VIGGIANO DEITTRICK and her company AVID BOOKKEEPING; and PSFN, Inc. Registered Guardian PATIENCE M. BRISTOL and her company GUARDIAN SOLUTIONS, Inc.

In the most recent 16 page complaint, attorneys Michael Olson and Thomas Grover representing former PFSN, Inc. "ward" Kristina Berger (45), accuse Shafer and his associates of embezzling $456,795.61 of Berger's assets between September 2008 and March 2013 while she was a ward of the Clark County Family Court that assigned her to PFSN, Inc. for guardianship.  Like many well to do elderly or disabled persons who need temporary assistance, certain Family Court Judges will often assign PFSN, Inc. to take full power of attorney over a wealthy ward's personal and financial affairs to purportedly work "to ensure the best possible health, welfare, safety and financial protection" until a family member living in Nevada can take that responsibility, or in Berger's case, her condition improves to the extent she can care for herself and handle her own financial affairs. FULL BERGER COMPLAINT

When Kristina Berger recovered from her illness, she received the shock of her life!  By January 11, 2013, after four and one half years under PFSN, Inc. guardianship, only $34,599.46 remained from her once half million dollar estate. The rest was either missing or unaccounted for.

Kristina was one of several PFSN, Inc. clients to file a criminal complaint against Bristol for stealing, but Berger took it a step further and went to Family Court to try to find out what happened to her assets. There she was met by indifference and condescending from Guardianship Commissioner Jon Norheim who appeared to be working for Shafer. During the heated hearing, Shafer told the Judge that Bristol didn't work for him, and he was not responsible for her actions even though he assigned Bristol to provide care for Berger and protect her assets. However, his defense flies in the face of hundreds of complaints (many confirmed as accurate) that he is personally responsible for the "conversion" of millions of dollars of PFSN, Inc. ward's assets - that if true - has made Shafer a multi-millionaire.

(Jared Shafer did not respond to numerous requests from INSIDE VEGAS to tell his side of the story.

Based on the PFSN, Inc. refusal to provide any company records showing the disbursement of Kristina Berger's assets, on May 22, 2013, attorneys for Berger accused Shafer in open court of concealing records that could show how Berger's half million dollar estate was disposed.  In response, Shafer startled court observers by ordering Commissioner Jon Norheim to "Close the courtroom," evidently assuming the video recording of the proceeding would cease. Norheim obediently complied with Shafer's bizarre order, and closed the court having all spectators escorted out by the bailiff. Here is the amazing 1:26  minute COURT VIDEO of Shafer closing an open Clark County Family Court proceeding.

In November 2012, Shafer, Bristol, Deittrick, and PFSN's attorneys filed a libel suit against several John Does and the daughter of one of Shafer's former wards after the daughter managed to free her father and his home from PFSN, Inc. guardianship, and reported Shafer's exploitation of her father to the Center For Guardianship Certification (CGC), and the Nevada Attorney General, LINK TO CGC and Nevada AG COMPLAINTS. The daughter also filed a sworn affidavit with the Clark County District Court claiming Jared Shafer told her: "I don't even have to show up in court, the judge always gives me what I want."   In retaliation, Shafer had one of his local Family Court Judges, Charles Hoskin, issue a Bench Warrant for the daughter's arrest. The warrant was later quashed following action by a California Superior Court Judge.

The libel lawsuit against his critics was a text book example of a SLAPP suit (A strategic lawsuit against public participation, SLAPP is a lawsuit that is intended to censor, intimidate, and silence critics by burdening them with the cost of a legal defense until they abandon their criticism or opposition).

Shafer has also sued individuals and John Does for filing complaints with state and federal agencies, and for their allegedly writing hundreds of complaints on the Internet including the familiar claim that Shafer bribes Family Court Judges.  The suits are presently in the Clark County District Court of Judge Joanna Kishner who recently dismissed one Defendant for lack of evidence.

In contrast to Shafer's claim that he does not influence Family Court Judges, the revealing court video of May 22, 2013 confirms the opposite, that at least one Family Court Judge appears to be totally under Shafer's control. INFORMATION ON SHAFER'S LIBEL LAWSUITS

In 2009, Shafer and his CPAs Bruce Gammett and Shawn King narrowly avoided SEC criminal prosecution by returning money they "fraudulently obtained from unknowing senior citizens to invest in a Ponzi scheme." Following the SEC settlement, neither the CGC nor the Nevada AG conducted investigations of Shafer, his associates, or their questionable business practices.  CGC claimed there was no evidence to remove certification from Shafer and Bristol, and Nevada AG Catherine Cortez-Masto showed no interest in conducting any form of investigation involving Shafer, et. al., only referring the daughter to other agencies she had previously been to who also did nothing to stop the exploitation of PFSN, Inc. wards.

It has recently been discovered that Shafer may have found a clever way to obtain untoward influence over certain Family Court Judges, the District Attorney, and Nevada Attorney General.  He's connected to a political advertising sign company that specializes in Family Court campaigns. Shafer's office manager Amy Viggiano Deittrick is also the sign company's manager, and operates the political sign business out of Shafer's PFSN, Inc. office located at 5858 S. Pecos Rd, Suite 500, in Las Vegas. Sources in local political campaign circles say Shafer is well known as the go-to guy when it comes to cheap or donated A-frame roadside campaign signs, especially for select Family Court Judges, or those running to replace judges who are not allegedly in his favor.

Shafer also illegally commingles moneys derived from his political advertising business with the funds of his wards in his PFSN, Inc. checking account. This is a clear violation of NRS 159.073 (III) (IV) which states: "the assets of the ward must not be commingled with the assets of any third party."  But to no one's surprise, the Clark County DA and Nevada AG, who have both used Shafer's political signs during their campaigns, consistently overlook his illegal business practices including his commingling of ward's funds with his own.

While certain Family Court Judges, DAs, and AGs continue to look the other way, for-hire "guardian" Shafer and his crew continue unabated to control the persons and fortunes of dozens of hapless Las Vegas elderly or disabled persons who have had the misfortune of being court assigned as PFSN, Inc. wards.

It's taken years for family members of wards whose assets were illegally converted to muster the courage to file (future federal) racketeering lawsuits against Shafer and his politically connected cohorts.  But the example set by Kristina Berger is beginning to inspire exploited families to lawyer up.  More to come.

BACKGROUND:

The Jason Hanson - Jared E. Shafer Story
"Special Administrator" Jared E. Shafer takes house and
inheritance from 24 year old man with cerebral palsy

"All I wanted to do was go home, but Shafer takes fervent joy in
destroying people's lives." - Jason Hanson (Video Included)

Grave Robbery Under Color Of Law!
Additional documents show Shafer is still bleeding the assets of a millionaire ward paying himself a total of $432,043.00 in fees five years after ward's death

Felony Arrest Warrant Issued For "Guardian" Jared E. Shafer's Protégé Patience Bristol
The warrant for Bristol's arrest listed fifteen felony counts including four counts of "Exploiting Old/Vulnerable Persons," eight counts of "First Degree Burglary," and three counts of "Obtaining  Money/Property/Labor Under False Pretense."

Against all odds
Daughter of WW2 vet succeeds in terminating Jared E. Shafer's Nevada guardianship and a California conservatorship dictated by Shafer

"Unclean Hands" Suing For Defamation
"Who wrote this report? Who have I bribed? What judges? WHAT BULLSHIT!" - Private Guardian Jared E. Shafer

Jared E. Shafer Loses Guardianship
Looted Senior Citizen Returns To Claim Home And Possessions After Winning Termination In A Bitter Sweet Victory
$360,000 bled from 93-year-old's trust during battle

GUADALUPE OLVERA'S WAR!
Elder Abuse Likely - Under Color Of Law
91 year old WW2 hero pleads to be allowed to spend his final days with family in California. Private Guardian Jared E. Shafer signals his displeasure to Family Court Judge Jon Norheim who refuses to permit Olvera to leave LV. Family defies court and moves patriarch to Santa Cruz County while funds continue to be drained from his account in Nevada to pay lawyers to fight for his return.
Click here to view 2:27 sec. court record of Mr. Olvera's ignored plea

EVIDENCE OF SHAFER BLEEDING OVER $360,000.00 FROM ELDERLY WARD'S TRUST

In 2009, Shafer and his CPAs Bruce Gammett and Shawn King narrowly avoided SEC criminal prosecution by returning money they "fraudulently obtained from unknowing senior citizens to invest in a Ponzi scheme"
http://www.vescorreceivership.com/rl/documents/ComplaintGamettandKingGroup.pdf
http://www.stevemiller4lasvegas.com/UtahSecuritiesCase1.pdf
http://www.stevemiller4lasvegas.com/UtahSecuritiesCase2.pdf

National Association To Stop Guardian Abuse

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