The Guardians

By: Staff, Source: CBC, Originally Published: June 2018

THE GUARDIANS is a revealing investigative documentary set in Las Vegas that exposes allegations of corruption within the Nevada Guardianship and Family Court system.  The film shines a light on a lucrative business that drains seniors’ life-savings. Victims and their families are caught in a scheme that has allowed corrupt court-appointed guardians to take total control over individuals’ healthcare and financial decisions.

The Baby Boomer generation has reached senior citizen status and over the coming years, it is estimated that they will bequeath more than 45 trillion dollars. An unprecedented shift of wealth will pass from one generation to the next; with this shift comes the temptation and opportunity for appalling greed and cold-hearted abuse.  The Guardians documents the stories of a group of senior citizens and their families as they fight to free themselves from unwanted court-appointed guardians.

Senior citizens Rudy and Rennie North were taken from their home by a court-appointed guardian and never returned. Their estate was looted and souvenirs of their life were disposed of by strangers. Their tale of abuse introduces the epidemic of corrupt private guardians in Nevada.

Julie Belshe, the North’s daughter, discovers that private guardian April Parks has forcibly removed her parents Rudy and Rennie from their home and put them into a nursing facility. Distraught, Julie searches for answers and information as to how a stranger could legally gain control over her parents’ lives. In the course of her inquiry, Julie discovers that she and her parents are just one case among many.

Julie’s fight to free her parents takes years as she navigates her way through court hearings and endless hours of research. Undeterred by setbacks, Julie continues her mission and expands her fight to help others in the same situation.

The Guardians reveals many other stories of widespread abuse happening within the court-appointed guardianship system in Nevada which has enabled those with ulterior motives to nefariously gain control over the lives and estates of some of society’s most vulnerable people. Shot over the course of three years, the film investigates allegations of corruption within the Nevada Guardianship and Family Court System and reveals a cautionary tale that transcends time and place.

In an unfolding saga that reaches to the top level of government, a growing number of Las Vegas victims come together to seek justice, restitution and freedom.  Through their personal struggles and public fight, the film exposes the scope of the systemic abuse.

As our aging population is about to record the largest transfer of wealth in history, we must protect them and their families from those that have been using a broken system to take advantage.

For 40 years nothing and no one has stood in their way. Until now.