Attorney General said Branch County man stole from family

A Branch County man will face charges of stealing from family members while handling an Oakland County probate case, according to the office of Attorney General Dana Nessel.

Her office listed 67-year-old David Edward White's hometown as Union City.

According to the information charging him with running a criminal enterprise, embezzlement, and tax evasion, White became the co-trustee of his father's trust, the John Stirling White Trust, in 2014 upon his death.

Several adult children shared the estate, which received income from The Winery Office Building in downtown Farmington.

During litigation over the trust, David White maintained control over the income, expenses, and access to financial records of the trust.

In 2019, the Oakland County Probate Court removed White when he failed to provide financial accounting under court order.

The office of the Attorney General began an investigation that led to the criminal charges that White embezzled over $300,000 from the trust between 2014 and 2019.

White waived the preliminary examination on Thursday. Free on a $100,000 personal recognizance bond, the Sixth Circuit Court in Pontiac will arraign White on Jan. 25.

Nessel said, “There must be integrity and honesty among those who administer trusts, estates, and assets held in common.”

The attorney general said, “Sadly, family ties are no guarantee the estates of our relatives will be handled properly once they have passed.”

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The charge of operating a continuing criminal enterprise is a 20-year felony. The three felony embezzlement charges are five to 15-year crimes.

Six counts of tax evasion alleged White failed to pay taxes on the misappropriated trust funds.

-- Contact Don Reid: dReid@Gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: Attorney General said Branch County man stole from family