Ex-lawyer accused of bilking relatives pleads not guilty

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A former Madison attorney accused of bilking relatives out of nearly $2 million has pleaded not guilty to those charges.

John C. Eckert, 66, appeared Tuesday before a Jefferson County judge, who set his bond at $200,000. Eckert was arrested last month in Texas after the FBI alleged he forged documents and withdrew money from an aunt's estate and two cousins' trust accounts.

Eckert faces 20 counts of fraud, one count of theft and other charges.

The Madison Courier reports court records say Eckert withdrew more than $340,000 from two cousins' trust accounts.

He also allegedly took more than $1.3 million from his brother's trust account and used some of it to repay his cousins and settle a $200,000 civil case involving his aunt's estate.

Eckert resigned his law license in June 2013, according to the Indiana Roll of Attorneys.

 

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