Brooke Astor’s Son Convicted: Faces Jail

The 85 year old son of the late New York grande dame Brooke Astor has been convicted of looting his mothers $200 million estate while she was suffering from Alzheimer’s. Anthony Marshall, who was charged in 2007, was found guilty on Thursday of first degree grand larceny and scheming to defraud. He faces a mandatory sentence of one year in jail and could possibly spend the rest of his life behind bars, with the maximum sentence of 25 years.

Brooke Astor was known for her philanthropy. One of her pet causes was The New York Public Library. In 2006 news broke that Astor was living in squalor and that her primary carer, her son, was responsible. Marshall was also accused of selling off one of his mothers favourite paintings without her knowledge and pocketing the money and of dipping into her personal checking account, using the funds to produce theatre. Scandal erupted.

Marshall is appealing the decision.