Man Allegedly Stole Millions of Dollars from Elderly Dementia Patient — and Spent the Proceeds on Plastic Surgery

A Philadelphia man has been arrested after allegedly stealing millions of dollars from an elderly woman with dementia and blowing the proceeds on plastic surgery among other luxuries.

James Batt, 66, was arrested on Wednesday on several felony charges related to the $3.7 million he allegedly stole from Alice Lineman, who was 92 when she died.

According to a news release from the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, Batt spent the money on extravagant vacations, hotels, gourmet restaurants, theater tickets, alcohol, shopping at high-end stores and even plastic surgery. 

Prosecutors allege that Batt was named executor of Lineman’s will but never dispersed her funds like she wanted. 

An investigation found that Batt befriended Lineman, who had senile dementia and required a live-in aide to help her with all daily activities, according to the district attorney’s office. Lineman named Batt trustee and the largest beneficiary of her estate, giving him 45% control. 

Prosecutors allegedly found out that prior to Lineman’s death, Batt made $30,003 in personal expenditures on her American Express account and added his significant other as an authorized user on the account. 

According to the district attorney’s office, he also withdrew $884,743 from her Wells Fargo account and $156,068 on her Morgan Stanley account.

Prosecutors say after Lineman’s death in 2019, Batt allegedly wrote 139 checks payable to himself from the Wells Fargo account, totaling $592,400. He also made charges, transfers and wrote checks from the Morgan Stanley account, totaling $1,384,435. 

Batt allegedly made additional transactions totaling $490,632 on Lineman’s American Express account after her death. The total amount of unauthorized transactions from Lineman’s accounts before and after her death totaled $3,715,318, according to a news release from the district attorney’s office. 

Authorities said with the exception of one $150,000 payment to a beneficiary named in Lineman’s will, Batt did not distribute the money as required under Pennsylvania law. 

“This defendant took advantage of an elderly woman suffering from senile dementia by stealing more than $3.7 million from her and her estate, thereby draining the assets available to Ms. Lineman, her estate and her heirs,” Kevin Steele, Montgomery County District Attorney, said in a statement. 

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Batt faces charges of financial exploitation of an older adult, theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, misapplication of entrusted property and theft by failure to make required dispositions, according to the news release from the Montgomery County DA.

He was arraigned on April 21 where a judge set Batt’s bail to $99,000 cash, with a provision that he can not use funds from Lineman’s estate. He was not able to make bail and was placed at a nearby correctional facility. 

A preliminary hearing for Batt will be held on May 6, according to the district attorney’s office.