Zionsville Town Council member accused in lawsuit, faces calls for resignation

Former NBA basketball player Josh McRoberts has filed a lawsuit against Zionsville Town Council member Sarah Sampson, alleging she pressured his grandmother to sign over her property while on her deathbed. The suit by McRoberts and Jennifer McRoberts, alleges Sarah and Jon Sampson, along with Zionsville attorney Michael Einterz, convinced Carolyn Pennington to deed her property to the Sampsons days before her death . Jennifer McRoberts is Pennington’s daughter and Josh McRoberts’ mother. Pennington, 85, died May 6. The lawsuit claims Einterz drafted legal documents that were signed by Pennington April 30, deeding her property at 6810 S. Ford Rd. to the Sampsons for $750,000, which is below market value. Days earlier, Einterz drafted or witnessed several documents, including a will, power of attorney and health care representative, that Pennington signed granting those responsibilities to Sarah Sampson, according to legal documents. Josh McRoberts argues the legal actions are null and void, because Pennington signed a revocable trust in June 2025 that made him the trustee of her estate. McRoberts, 39, was a standout basketball player at Carmel High School and Duke University who spent 11 seasons in the NBA, including three with the Indiana Pacers. The legal signings purportedly came after Sampson removed Pennington from Rose Senior Living in Carmel to “an undisclosed location.” Pennington was removed while her daughter, Jennifer McRoberts, was on vacation. Rose Senior Living reportedly called police to investigate. Sampson, per the lawsuit, told police Pennington had round-the-clock care and was staying with her. The lawsuit claims that isn’t true. Sampson is accused of not allowing Pennington to meet with or speak to family members from April 10 until her death. The lawsuit also alleges Sampson did not notify family Pennington had died and had her body embalmed. “All of the Defendants occupied a confidential and/or fiduciary relationship with Carolyn,” the lawsuit states. “They abused that relationship to her detriment and caused damage, such that all purported transfers are presumed to be the product of undue influence and constructive fraud.” Zionsville law firm Einterz and Einterz claimed in a statement that Pennington told medical professionals to not contact her family. The firm said it “strongly refutes the allegations.” Further, McRoberts, through his attorney Curtis Shirley of Carmel, argues that the documents signed by Pennington earlier this year are not valid as she was not of sound mind. A mental examination Pennington underwent when she entered assisted living last year indicated dementia, the lawsuit said. She was unable to stand or move and was staying at Ascension St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis the day she deeded her property to the Sampsons. Einterz and Einterz argues Pennington sought to sell some of or all of her trust to afford repairs on her home. The law firm said she first offered the property to Josh McRoberts, who stopped talking to her last year. Then Pennington reached out to a neighbor — unnamed in the law firm’s press release — who agreed. Pennington also was determined to be sound of mind by doctors when she agreed to sell, according to the law firm. The lawsuit accuses the Sampsons of pressuring Pennington to sell her property to them for years, telling the hospital she did not have family and that neighbors looked after her. Einterz is accused of legal malpractice, having represented Pennington while acting in the interest of Sampson and trying to change Pennington’s life insurance beneficiary. It was Jennifer McRoberts. “Whether or not of sound mind, a prudent attorney would have contacted her physician, or recommended Carolyn undergo a mental examination before signing anything in April or May of 2026, much less while in the hospital less than a week before she died,” the lawsuit states. The law firm does not mention the Sampsons except to state it is not representing them in the case. The lawsuit, filed in Boone County Superior Court 1, asks the court to give Pennington’s estate and trust to the McRobertses with Josh McRoberts as the fiduciary until the matter is resolved. A jury trial is requested. A hearing on the matter was scheduled for June 8. The Boone County Democratic Party, in a Facebook post June 5 , called for Sampson, a Republican, to resign because of the allegations. Sampson, the county Democratic and Republican parties, and legal representatives for the McRoberts did not return requests for comment. Related posts: No related posts. Share. Tumblr