California Judge Charged With Elder Theft

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — An Alameda County judge has been charged with elder theft for allegedly stealing at least $1.6 million from his 97-year-old neighbor.

Paul Seeman was arrested and charged Thursday with one count of elder theft and 11 counts of perjury. He was being held on $525,000 bail.

Authorities said Seeman began stealing from Anne Nutting, his neighbor, in 1999 after her husband died. Seeman is accused of slowly bleeding her assets until April 2010 when she died at the age of 97.

Nutting didn't have any family when she died.

Police said the 57-year-old Seeman became Nutting's durable power of attorney and claimed he found $1 million worth of stock certificates and dividend checks in her house.

Seeman was appointed to the bench in 2009 by former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.