Grandson Of Philadelphia Host Mary Mason Decides To Go To Trial To Fight Charges He Stole From Her

Mason

The grandson of longtime PHILADELPHIA talk host MARY MASON, accused of stealing $843,000 of her savings, changed his mind at the last moment and did not plead guilty to any of the 306 counts against him in a move that caught the judge and prosecution by surprise THURSDAY (10/26), reports the PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER.

CALVIN STEVEN TURNER IV, 33, MASON's only heir, faces charges of theft, receiving stolen property, forgery, unlawful use of an electronic access device, and identity theft in MONTGOMERY COUNTY Court in NORRISTOWN, PA; prosecutors expected TURNER to plead guilty, but his attorney MARTIN P. MULLANEY instead moved for a continuance to prepare for a trial, claiming new evidence.  MONTGOMERY COUNTY Assistant District Attorney CHRISTOPHER DANIELS complained that MULLANEY was trying to delay the case, which has been postponed four times over five months; judge GARRETT D. PAGE said he would schedule a three-day jury trial.

The complaint against TURNER alleges that when MASON (BEATRICE TURNER), the former host at WHAT-A, WWDB-F, WWDB-A, and WCAU-A, was diagnosed with dementia related to Alzheimer's disease and CALVIN TURNER's father C. STEVEN TURNER died in 2012, the grandson got MASON to sign over power of attorney and he began taking from the estate, selling two condos and leaving nursing home bills unpaid while spending MASON's money on himself, including starting a real estate business and spending $15,556 on liquor and food and at a LAS VEGAS strip club. 

The court appointed an attorney for MASON, now 87, to act as her executor and handle her finances last year.

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