Two women charged with Financial Exploitation of a Senior Citizen appeared in Morgan County Court Tuesday for the first time in regards to these charges.
38 year old Jewell Maul and 63 year old Joyce Gill, both of Applebee Drive, were arrested Monday, September 17th of this year. Special Prosecutor Matt Goetten and Illinois Division of Special Prosecutions Chief Ed Parkinson filed charging documents that same day.
According to the charging documents, the arrests were made three years to the day after Jewell Maul allegedly removed $39,456.93 from a U.S. Bank account for which both she and her father, 64-year old Robert Gill, were account holders. Though they were named as account holders, the account was still in a position of trust with then 88 year old Norma Notson, who is Robert Gill’s aunt.
On the same day of the nearly 40 thousand dollar withdrawal, Jewell Maul apparently deposited $39,449.43 into a Farmers State Bank and Trust Company account belonging to her parents, Robert and Joyce Gill. Jewell Maul’s charging documents allege that she acted, “for the purpose of converting these funds which were the property of Norma Notson into a separate account to deprive Notson future access to her own money.”
Robert Gill was also charged yesterday, but seeing as he is currently serving a 49 year prison sentence for the 2015 murder of his ex-son-in-law Andrew Maul and arson for setting Andrew’s mother’s house on fire, the exploitation charges against him were dismissed.
However, in the filed charging documents against Robert Gill, Special Prosecutor Goetten clearly states, “The monies so controlled and used by the defendant are directly traceable back to Norma Notson and her sole ownership thereof.” Goetten wrote earlier in the document that the U.S. Bank account contained the entirety of Notson’s life savings, of which she had previously maintained sole control in checking and savings accounts. Norma Notson passed away on March 24th of this year at the age of 91 and was laid to rest in Godfrey.
The financial exploitation of a senior cases against Jewell Maul and her mother, Joyce Gill, will be heard by Seventh Judicial Circuit Judge Ryan Cadigan. According to official courthouse documents, Maul has elected to hire her own private counsel. Gill reportedly requested a public defender Monday. Defense Attorney Tom Piper was appointed to represent Gill. Both women will next be seen in the Morgan County courthouse on November 13th at 11 a.m. for preliminary hearings.