Grand Rapids, Michigan – November 29, 2006 – United States Attorney Margaret M. Chiara and Eaton County Prosecuting Attorney Jeffrey L Sauter announced today the filing of charges in federal court against Charles M. Zwick of Charlotte, Michigan, and Kathy L. Vanderske, of Portland, Michigan, for conspiracy to commit mail fraud and conspiracy to commit Social Security fraud. Zwick and Vanderske waived indictment and were arraigned on the two-count Felony Information before Magistrate Judge Ellen S. Carmody. Each count carries a maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment.

The charges stem from a joint task force investigation conducted by the Eaton County Sheriff’s Department, Charlotte Police Department, Michigan State Police, Social Security Administration--Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The 16 - month investigation began in July of 2005, when Zwick failed to appear in Eaton County Probate Court to answer charges of why he was not filing reports of assets under his control, as the court had ordered. Complaints about missing and unaccounted for funds led to the Probate Court Judge issuing a bench warrant for Zwick’s arrest when he failed to appear. He was eventually arrested during a traffic stop in St. Joseph, Michigan, on August 14, 2005.

The Information charges that Zwick, an attorney with a practice in Charlotte, Michigan, and Vanderske, his law office manager, embezzled the funds of wards whose assets he was appointed to protect. The Information alleges that between July 1, 2000 and July 31, 2005, Zwick and Vanderske embezzled and misspent the assets and Social Security payments from approximately 100 clients for whom Zwick was acting as conservator, guardian or personal representative.

The filing of the Information and the arraignment are the first steps in the process of bringing criminal charges against Zwick and Vanderske, which will eventually lead to trial or a plea.

The charges in an Information are merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.