June 28, 2025 #1 Local News, Information and Event Source for the Century City/Westwood areas.

Thoracic and Cardiovascular Charity Sues Merrill Lynch for $2.4 Million

Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc. (Thinkstock: Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images).
Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc. (Thinkstock: Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images).

Merrill Lynch is being sued for $2.4 million by a Seal Beach-based charity that alleges a woman’s investment adviser steered away money meant for the organization.

The Los Angeles Thoracic and Cardiovascular Foundation filed the lawsuit Tuesday against Merrill Lynch, the wealth management arm of Bank of America, and Banc of America Investment Services Inc. investment adviser James Schaedler. BAIS is a predecessor entity to Merrill Lynch, the suit states.

The complaint alleges financial elder abuse and negligent supervision.

A Merrill Lynch representative said the company’s legal team has not yet reviewed the lawsuit and that he had no comment. He said Schaedler has not been with the Bank of America since 2010.

The suit is related to a trust created by Juanita Earley and her husband, John Earley, a Santa Ana couple who were longtime clients of the Bank of America. Juanita Earley died in January 2012 at age 96.

The Earleys stated in their trust dating back to 1990 that they wished to leave their estate to charities when they died, according to the lawsuit. In 2005, Juanita Earley amended the trust to name the Los Angeles Thoracic and Cardiovascular Foundation as the sole beneficiary, the suit states.

Schaedler began to capitalize on his position as the woman’s money manager in late 2008, the suit alleges.

“Seizing on her vulnerability, Mr. Schaedler systematically insinuated himself into Mrs. Earley’s personal life,” the suit states. “Among other things, he stopped for visits at her home periodically. These visits soon morphed into a routine.”

Schaedler “anointed himself” as Juanita Earley’s part-time chauffeur as he brought her groceries, drove her to church and influenced her to give him a health-care directive that he used to change her doctor against her wishes, the suit alleges.

Schaedler also isolated the woman from her family and friends, put her into a nursing home, claimed to be her conservator and ordered that the facility not allow her to take calls or have visitors, according to the lawsuit.

In July 2009, Juanita Earley “purportedly prepared or executed documents in Mr. Schaedler’s favor around and after that time,” the suit states. “It was here — one month after amending the trust — that Mrs. Earley was declared incompetent by a facility physician after extensive testing.”

Schaedler received about $2.4 million from the woman’s trust after she died, the suit states. He has “attested to a spending spree of hundreds of thousands of dollars” from the funds that he obtained from the trust, according to the complaint.

The suit alleges Schaedler “knew he could get away with his self- serving methods involving Mrs. Earley because BAIS was neither holding him accountable nor otherwise subjecting him to any meaningful oversight about his client relationships.”

The 2009 trust amendment resulted in “practically eliminating Los Angeles Thoracic as the sole trust beneficiary in favor of Mr. Schaedler,” the suit states.

Before she died, Juanita Earley “expressed to at least two disinterested witnesses her fear of Mr. Schaedler and her distress at having been pressured to change key documents,” the suit states.

Related Posts

Café UCLA Pops Up in Westwood to Honor Arthur Ashe’s Historic Wimbledon Win

June 27, 2025

June 27, 2025

Three-Day Celebration Includes Giveaways in Tribute to the Iconic Athlete and Activist UCLA will commemorate the 50th anniversary of Arthur...

Captain America Hits the Skirball Big Screen for Heroic Outdoor Movie Night

June 27, 2025

June 27, 2025

Museum-Goers Can Also Catch a Superhero-Themed Drawing Session The Skirball Cultural Center will host an outdoor screening of Captain America:...

Demolition Underway at Beverly Grove Squatter Site After Mystery Fire Renews Safety Fears

June 27, 2025

June 27, 2025

Crews Begin Tearing Down Long-Vacant Apartments on First and Flores  Demolition has begun at a group of long-abandoned apartment buildings...

(Video) Welcome to the Urban Jungle — where nature meets the city and style meets soul

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

Whether you’re chasing that gritty city energy or carving out a green oasis in your space, we’re here to help...

Santa Monica Police Arrest Shooting Suspect After Officer Ambushed Near Downtown Mall

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

Man Linked to Waymo Vehicle Gunfire Taken Into Custody Following Tense Manhunt The suspect wanted in connection with a shooting...

Brentwood Weekend Specials: $9 Wine & Street Tacos, Blush-Inspired Lattes & Beauty Swag

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

Street Tacos and Wine Meets Self-Care in Brentwood and Santa Monica Brentwood Fine Wines will welcome back local culinary favorite...

Michelin Stars Shine Bright on LA: Somni West Hollywood and Providence Earn Top Honors

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

Two Restaurants in Los Angeles Receive Three Stars as Michelin Guide Celebrates Bold Flavors The MICHELIN Guide California 2025 celebrated...

Cherished Culver City Ice Cream Vendor Abducted in Broad Daylight

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

Ambrocio “Enrique” Lozano’s Disappearance Led To Grassroots Action Ambrocio Lozano, also known in the neighborhood as Enrique, was abducted around...

Brentwood Home by Landry Design Group Wins Top National Architecture Award

June 25, 2025

June 25, 2025

Landry Design Group Wins Gold Nugget Awards for Brentwood, Crestwood Projects Landry Design Group (LDG) earned two top honors at...

(Video) WISE & Healthy Aging Helps Loved Ones Boost Their Quality of Life

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

See How the Nonprofit’s Innovative Programs Advance the Dignity of Life for Older Adults See How the Nonprofit’s Innovative Programs...

Masked Federal Agents Detain Iranian Asylum Seeker and Wife in Westwood

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

31-Year-Old Woman was Hospitalized After Possible Medical Emergency On Tuesday, June 24, between 11:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., near the...

Los Angeles Leaders Push to Ban Masks for Federal Agents Amid Immigration Raids

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

Concerns Grow Over Anonymous ICE and CBP Officers in Los Angeles   A growing coalition of California lawmakers and local leaders...

(Video) Food Fight: Chefs Join Forces to Raise Money to Protect Immigrant Families in Venice

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

Estrano, Little Dynamite, Sunday Gravy, Kabob Senpai Answer the Call From Turk’s Pizza Party. Dave Turkel Put This Food Resistance...

Squatter-Plagued Beverly Grove Buildings Could Be Razed After Hazard Cleanup

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

Demolition of Three Abandoned Apartments May Begin in Two Weeks Three abandoned apartment buildings in Beverly Grove may soon be...

From Westwood to DTLA, Angelenos March Against Military Escalation in Iran

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

Protestors Rally at the Westwood Federal Building This Weekend Following President Donald Trump’s authorization of airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear-related...