A Ventura County man is facing nine felony charges, after prosecutors say he stole more than a quarter of a million dollars from the estate of a friend.
Investigators say Francis Copeland had named his friend, Geoffrey Charles Sjostrom of Simi Valley, to administer his trust, and will. But, prosecutors say after Copeland died in 2005, Sjostrom didn’t follow through, and over the years, withdrew more than $250,000 from the man’s bank accounts. They say the 57 year old man signed a statement saying the man’s bank accounts were empty when he died.
If convicted of all of the charges, Sjostrom could face up to 11 years in prison.
