Former NBA player Josh McRoberts has filed a lawsuit against Zionsville town councilor Sarah Sampson, her husband Jon Sampson, attorney Michael L. Einterz, Erin B. Napier, and the law firm Einterz & Einterz, accusing them of exploiting his 85-year-old grandmother, Carolyn Pennington, isolating her from her family, and pressuring her to sign over the family’s 150-year-old homestead while she suffered from dementia. The suit was filed June 1, 2026, in Boone Superior Court by McRoberts and his mother, Jennifer McRoberts.1IndyStar. Zionsville Sarah Sampson Lawsuit NBA Player Josh McRoberts
What the Complaint Says Happened
According to the complaint, Pennington moved into Rose Senior Living, an assisted living facility, in October 2025 after her mental and physical health declined. Providers there found signs of dementia.2People. Former NBA Player Claims His Grandmother Was Tricked Into Signing Over Family Property
In April 2026, while the McRoberts family was away, Sarah Sampson removed Pennington from the facility and took her to a separate home Sampson owned. The lawsuit says Pennington was kept there without professional caregivers and that the Sampsons blocked family members from contacting or visiting her from April 10, 2026, until her death on May 6, 2026.3The Indiana Lawyer. Former Pacers Player Says Zionsville Councilor Exploited His Elderly Grandmother Rose Senior Living called police when Pennington was taken. The complaint alleges Sampson told officers Pennington was “staying with her” and receiving “round-the-clock care,” which the plaintiffs say was untrue.4You Are Current. Zionsville Town Council Member Accused in Lawsuit Faces Calls for Resignation
On April 30, 2026, while Pennington was hospitalized at St. Vincent Hospital, attorney Michael Einterz presented her with documents that conveyed the homestead to the Sampsons for $750,000, granted Sarah Sampson power of attorney, and named Sampson as Pennington’s health care representative. The McRobertses argue those documents are void because Pennington lacked the capacity to sign them and because she had already named Josh McRoberts as trustee of her estate in a revocable trust created in June 2025.4You Are Current. Zionsville Town Council Member Accused in Lawsuit Faces Calls for Resignation
After Pennington died on May 6, the lawsuit says the Sampsons arranged for her body to be embalmed before notifying the family, which the plaintiffs contend prevented an autopsy from determining the cause of death.3The Indiana Lawyer. Former Pacers Player Says Zionsville Councilor Exploited His Elderly Grandmother The Sampsons and Pennington were neighbors. The complaint states the two families “have never been friendly,” though the Sampsons had purchased a separate property from Pennington’s trust roughly two years earlier.1IndyStar. Zionsville Sarah Sampson Lawsuit NBA Player Josh McRoberts
The Property and the Price
The disputed homestead sits in the 6800 block of South Ford Road in Zionsville. It covers seven acres and had been in Pennington’s family for 150 years. The Boone County Assessor valued the home at $594,000. Josh McRoberts reportedly spent about $1 million in 2025 to repair the property and pay off its mortgage to keep it in the family.3The Indiana Lawyer. Former Pacers Player Says Zionsville Councilor Exploited His Elderly Grandmother
The McRoberts family says the $750,000 sale price was well below fair market value. A nearby six-acre property on South Ford Road carried a 2025 Boone County assessment of more than $2.2 million, and comparable Zionsville home sales in early 2026 ranged from $1.175 million to $1.667 million.5Redfin. 7979 S Ford Rd, Zionsville, IN The Sampsons’ representatives have countered that Pennington was of sound mind and initiated the sale herself after her grandson declined to buy the property.3The Indiana Lawyer. Former Pacers Player Says Zionsville Councilor Exploited His Elderly Grandmother
The Legal Claims
Against the Sampsons, the complaint alleges undue influence and constructive fraud, criminal and civil conversion, and elder abuse under Indiana’s Senior Consumer Protection Act. Against Einterz and his firm, it alleges legal malpractice, claiming Einterz put the Sampsons’ interests ahead of those of his client, Pennington.3The Indiana Lawyer. Former Pacers Player Says Zionsville Councilor Exploited His Elderly Grandmother
The Senior Consumer Protection Act allows enhanced damages in financial exploitation cases involving people 60 or older. When the defendant held a position of trust or confidence over the victim, courts can award treble damages, attorney fees, and civil penalties of up to $10,000.6The Indiana Lawyer. Lawmakers Put More Teeth Into Consumer Protection of Indiana Seniors The McRobertses are asking the court to declare the property deed and related documents void, award the estate and trust to them, and hear the case before a jury.4You Are Current. Zionsville Town Council Member Accused in Lawsuit Faces Calls for Resignation
No criminal investigation or charges have been reported. This is a civil matter only.
Where the Case Stands
The case, numbered 06D01-2606-PL-001109, is before Boone Superior Court Judge Matthew Kincaid. On June 2, 2026, Judge Kincaid denied a motion to remove Josh McRoberts as personal representative of Pennington’s estate. On June 9, he denied a motion by Einterz to pause the lawsuit while a separate proceeding concerning Pennington’s will was resolved.3The Indiana Lawyer. Former Pacers Player Says Zionsville Councilor Exploited His Elderly Grandmother An injunction hearing was scheduled for June 8, but as of mid-June the court had not ruled on the McRobertses’ request for a preliminary injunction.
The defendants had not filed an answer to the complaint as of the most recent reporting.1IndyStar. Zionsville Sarah Sampson Lawsuit NBA Player Josh McRoberts Sarah Sampson did not respond to requests for comment from IndyStar or You Are Current. Through their attorney, Nicholas Plopper of Drewry Simmons Vornehm LLP, the Sampsons said they “vehemently deny the allegations in the lawsuit and will be releasing a statement at an appropriate time.”3The Indiana Lawyer. Former Pacers Player Says Zionsville Councilor Exploited His Elderly Grandmother
Calls for Sampson to Resign
On June 5, 2026, the Boone County Democratic Party publicly called for Sampson’s resignation from the Zionsville Town Council, saying the allegations “raise significant and pressing questions about Mrs. Sampson’s capacity, capability and qualifications to continue to represent the people of Zionsville.” The party urged the Boone County Republican Party to join the demand.1IndyStar. Zionsville Sarah Sampson Lawsuit NBA Player Josh McRoberts Sampson, a Republican, represents District 4.7Town of Zionsville. Sarah Esterline Sampson – Town Council Member
The Town of Zionsville issued a brief statement calling the allegations a “private civil case” that is “unrelated to Town business or Town operations.”8Yahoo News. Former NBA Player Sues Town Council Member As of mid-June 2026, neither the Town Council nor the local Republican Party had taken formal action, and Sampson remained on the council.