Former NBA Player Claims Neighbors Tricked His Grandmother with Dementia Into Signing Over Family’s Home
Former NBA Player Claims Neighbors Tricked His Grandmother with Dementia Into Signing Over Family’s Home
Natalia SenanayakeTue, June 9, 2026 at 6:07 PM UTC
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Former NBA player Josh McRoberts in 2017Credit: Ronald Martinez/Getty -
Former NBA player Josh McRoberts alleges his grandmother signed over her family's 150-year-old property when she was "not of sound mind" just before her death
A legal complaint claims his grandmother, Carolyn Pennington, who had dementia, was isolated and influenced by neighbors Jon and Sarah Sampson to sign the deed
The property was signed over for $750,000, far below market value, despite McRoberts investing $1 million to preserve it for their family
Former NBA player Josh McRoberts is claiming his late grandmother, who suffered from dementia, was tricked into signing over the deed to their family's longtime property just weeks before her death.
According to the complaint filed on June 1 in Boone County, Ind., and obtained by PEOPLE, McRoberts is named as the fiduciary of the Zionsville, Ind., estate where his grandmother, Carolyn Pennington, had lived almost up until her death on May 6, 2026, at 85 years old.
After experiencing "cash flow problems," Pennington asked her grandson to pay off the mortgage and help with repairs at the property so it could "stay in their family," per the filing. McRoberts — who played for teams including the Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers — agreed to help his grandmother, putting $1 million towards the estate in 2025.
The property sits on seven acres of land and has been in the family for over 150 years, per the complaint. "During her lifetime, Carolyn has been fiercely protective of the property with a definite intention to preserve the property for her family," the document alleges.
Carolyn Pennington's Indiana estateCredit: WTHR/youTube
According to the complaint, Pennington's neighbors Jon and Sarah Sampson, who Pennington claims he never had a friendly relationship with, "hounded" her for years to buy her home. "Jon Sampson and Sarah Sampson pressured Carolyn to sell the property but she adamantly refused," the document alleges.
In a statement shared with PEOPLE, attorneys for the Sampsons said, "The Sampsons vehemently deny the allegations in the lawsuit and will be releasing a statement at an appropriate time."
In October 2025, Pennington moved to an assisted living facility after her "mental and physical health declined," per the complaint. She allegedly wasn't able to care for "herself, her home, or her dogs" anymore, and she could "no longer drive a car."
After she entered the assisted living facility, medical providers conducted a mental examination which "indicated a finding of dementia," the document claims.
During her time there, Pennington's daughter and McRoberts' mother, Jennifer McRoberts, visited with her about three times a week, and she also often went to Jennifer's home to see her dogs.
In April 2026, Jennifer went on a planned five-day vacation. During that window, the complaint alleges that Sarah took Pennington out of the assisted living facility and "isolated Carolyn at a separate home Sarah owned where there were no caregivers and no monitoring."
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The complaint claims that from April 10, 2026 until Pennington's death on May 6, Sarah — who is a Zionsville Town Council member, per the town's website — "prevented Carolyn from meeting with or speaking with any of her family members."
The document alleges that on April 29, Pennington was taken to the emergency room after Sarah told medical providers that she "noticed significant worsening generalized debility" and "worsening general weakness."
Pennington was then transferred to St. Vincent Hospital later that day. The filing alleges that Sarah told medical providers at the hospital that Pennington "has no family support but has four neighbors that are friends who help with her care."
It was at the hospital where Pennington was allegedly presented a deed from an attorney, Michael L. Einterz of Einterz & Einterz law firm, whom the complaint alleges "purported to represent Carolyn but instead acted in the interests of the Sampsons." She allegedly signed the deed "conveying her homestead property (all seven acres on Ford Road that Josh had paid over one million dollars to preserve) to the Sampsons for $750,000.00, significantly below its fair market value."
The filing also alleges that Einterz "prepared and supervised a mortgage signed by Jon and Sarah Sampson" despite never obtaining an appraisal of the property before he drafted such sale documents.
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The complaint claims the documents Pennington signed while she was in the hospital are "not valid" for a number of reasons, including that she was "not of sound mind to sign the contested documents" and that she "lacked the mental strength to overcome the undue influence" of the Sampsons and Einterz, who "otherwise took advantage of her."
The suit alleges that as the Sampsons "took ownership of the property with the intent to permanently deprive Carolyn and her Estate and her heirs of its value and use," they are "liable for damages, double damages, treble damages, attorney fees, expenses, and costs."
PEOPLE has reached out to Einterz, attorneys for the McRoberts and the Town of Zionsville for comment.
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
