Credit: Montgomery County District Attorney.
James Batt, 66, of Flourtown, was arrested on numerous felony counts related to the theft of more than $3.7 million from Alice Lineman, who died at age 92 on August 29, 2019.
The majority of the money was spent on extravagant travel, hotels, gourmet restaurants, theater tickets, wine and spirits, shopping at high-end stores and plastic surgery, according to the investigation.
Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele made the announcement Wednesday afternoon.
The thefts came to light when two of Lineman’s relatives and beneficiaries filed suit in the Montgomery County Orphan’s Court against Batt, who was named the executor of the will but never dispersed Lineman’s funds.
On March 20, 2023, Batt was removed as Trustee of the Living Trust of Alice Lineman by the Honorable Lois E. Murphy, who also ordered Batt to appear and to turn over estate assets, which he refused to do. Judge Murphy found Batt in contempt of court in 2023 and again March 19, 2025, when the Judge also issued a warrant for his arrest. Judge Murphy referred the case to the District Attorney’s Office.
The subsequent investigation by the Montgomery County Detective Bureau found that Batt, who was a friend of Lineman’s, was aware of her senile dementia, which required a live-in aide to help her with all daily activities. Batt was one the largest beneficiaries of her estate at 45 percent and was named the executor and trustee of Lineman’s estate.
Prior to her death, Batt spent $30,003 in personal expenditures on Lineman’s American Express account, changed the mailing address for the account to his Flourtown residence and added his significant other as an authorized user on the account, according to police.
Batt had also withdrawn $884,743 from Lineman’s Wells Fargo account and $156,068 from her Morgan Stanley account prior to her death, according to police.
Following her death, between 2019 and 2022, Batt wrote 139 checks, payable to himself, from the Wells Fargo account, totaling $592,400, and made charges, transfers and wrote checks from the Morgan Stanley account, totaling $1,384,435.
Batt also charged $490,632 on the American Express account after her death. The total amount of Batt’s unauthorized transactions from Lineman’s account, before and after her death, totaled $3,715,318.
With the exception of one $150,000 payment to a beneficiary named in Lineman’s will, Batt did not distribute the estate as directed by Lineman and as required under Pennsylvania law.
“This defendant took advantage of an elderly woman suffering from senile dementia by stealing more than $3.7 million from her and from her estate, thereby draining the assets available to Ms. Lineman, her estate and her heirs,” said DA Steele. “Through our prosecution of this egregious crime, we will hold Batt accountable for living extravagantly on money that should have gone to Ms. Lineman’s family.”
Batt is charged with multiple felonies including Financial Exploitation of an Older Adult, Theft by Unlawful Taking, Receiving Stolen Property, Misapplication of Entrusted Property and Theft by Failure to Make Required Dispositions.
He was arraigned on April 21, 2025, before Magisterial District Judge Dara A. Nasatir, who set bail at $99,000 cash.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m., May 6, 2025, before Magisterial District Judge Katherine E. McGill. The case will be prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Gwendolyn Kull, Captain of the Economic Crimes Unit.
