A fiduciary who posed with the Kardashians and lived a life of luxury was stealing from the clients that trusted her to take care of their wealthy estate, an explosive new lawsuit reveals.
Angelique Friend is accused of ripping off Patricia Mettler by overseeing a trust that was giving kickbacks to her husband through her company Probate Services Inc. located in Camarillo, CA.
Mettler, a Southern California Alzheimer’s patient, was in poor health when Friend was put in charge of her trust in 2021. “She was unable to report where she was born and raised, or to recall either the name of the high school she attended or when she graduated. She was unable to recall prior employment, details of prior relationships, or the names of her children.” court papers said.
Friend immediately hired Towngate In-Home Services, a company owned by her husband David Esquibias to care for Mettler, according to the documents.
The estate paid Towngate a staggering $1,110,000 over the almost four year period they cared for her. At the same time Friend paid herself over $165,000, making the total bounty $1,275,860.34, the papers say.
Meanwhile, social media posts show Friend living it up. In one shot she poses with Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner at the 2022 Baby2Baby Gala in LA with the caption “The most extraordinary evening.”
Another post shows her cozying up to Kathy Hilton and thanking her for a wonderful holiday party, the two are both in pajamas and smiling in front of a giant Christmas tree.
The lawsuit accuses Friend of not making anyone aware of the hiring of her husband including Mettler’s attorney.
“If a trustee has a conflict of interest, and the beneficiary is incapacitated, the trustee can fulfill the requisite consent needed to avoid breach by either seeking court approval, disclosing the breach to a legal representative of the beneficiary, or seeking appointment of such a legal representative” the lawsuit says.
The papers allege, “That Friend did none of these or, if she did, they were insufficient to bar her from liability for breach.”
It goes on to say that “even if Townsgate received compensation at a rate that was fair and within standard rates of similarly-provided care in the community, neither of these things will shield Friend from liability for her breach.”
Esquibias, her husband, is a lawyer who’s LinkedIn page states he’s “Certified by the State Bar of California as a Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law.”
Probate Services Inc’s website advertises “integrity, and expertise in your time of need.”
“Angelique Friend also emphasizes the importance of understanding attorney fiduciary duty and ethical estate management. When someone is responsible for managing an estate, they must act in the best interests of the beneficiaries while following strict legal guidelines,” it says.
Calls to the company weren’t immediately returned.
Relatives are asking for Friend to be removed as trustee, and asking for return of all assets “improperly disbursed.” They are also asking for attorney fees to be paid.