A former Cook County judge was sentenced to probation on Friday after stealing large sums of money from an elderly friend who served as a Tuskegee Airman.
Patricia Martin, 66, received four years probation after pleading guilty to theft ranging from $100,000 to $500,000, according to court documents. The judge also sentenced her to pay $122,763.73 in restitution and adhere to standard probation requirements, which included random drug testing.
Martin previously served as presiding judge of the Child Protection Division before retiring in 2020.
Prosecutors initially accused her of stealing about $250,000 from Oscar Wilkerson, a 95-year-old friend whose funds she managed through power of attorney. Martin used that authority to close several of Wilkerson’s bank accounts and withdraw more than $115,000, officials claimed. She used the money to purchase cryptocurrency.
Investigators stated she continued to conduct unlawful transactions for cryptocurrency purchases and personal expenses throughout 2021 and most of 2022.
Wilkerson’s tenancy at a senior living home was terminated due to unpaid expenses, which revealed the thefts. Martin’s accounts were examined by an attorney, who then launched a lawsuit against him in 2022. She did not answer, resulting in a default judgment of almost $1.1 million, according to court papers.
Because Martin had previously served as a Cook County judge, her case was referred to McHenry County Judge Tiffany Davis. Wilkerson died in 2023, a day before his 97th birthday. Martin was disbarred that same year.
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