Former Mavs Player Alleges Wrongful Sale of Family Estate

Former NBA player Josh McRoberts has filed a lawsuit alleging that his grandmother, Carolyn Pennington, who suffered from dementia, was manipulated into signing away a family property shortly before her death.

According to the complaint, filed June 1 in Boone County, Indiana, Pennington died on May 6, 2026, at age 85. McRoberts, acting as fiduciary of her estate, claims he invested more than $1 million in 2025 to help preserve the family’s seven-acre Zionsville property, which has been in the family for more than 150 years. The lawsuit states that Pennington was determined to keep the land in the family and had repeatedly rejected attempts by neighbors Jon and Sarah Sampson to purchase it.

After Pennington moved into an assisted living facility in October 2025 due to declining physical and mental health, medical evaluations reportedly found signs of dementia. The complaint alleges that while Pennington’s daughter was away on a five-day vacation in April 2026, Sarah Sampson removed Pennington from the facility and isolated her from family members.

The lawsuit further claims that Sarah prevented Pennington from communicating with relatives until her death and later accompanied her to the hospital after her health worsened. While hospitalized, Pennington allegedly signed a deed transferring the property to the Sampsons for $750,000—an amount the complaint says was well below market value.

The filing also accuses attorney Michael L. Einterz of acting in the Sampsons’ interests rather than Pennington’s and alleges he prepared sale and mortgage documents without first obtaining a property appraisal. The Sampsons have denied the allegations through their attorneys.