James Batt, Flourtown, Pennsylvania man scams estate of dementia stricken woman, Alice Lineman, nearly to the tune of $4 million, to spend on boyfriend, and jetset lifestyle, including plastic surgery while leaving estate beneficiaries out of pocket.
A Pennsylvania man is accused of having stolen $3.7 million from a woman with dementia and used the cash to fund a jet-set lifestyle and plastic surgery, according to prosecutors.
James Batt, 66, of Flourtown, is alleged to have swindled Alice Lineman, who he was ‘friends with’ out of millions of dollars both before and after her death.
Lineman died in 2019 at the age of 92 after long suffering from dementia, with Batt named as the executor and recipient of 45 percent of her estate.
James Batt Flourtown man nominates self as executor and largest beneficiary
Not immediately clear is how Batt came to be nominated as Lineman’s executor along with the whereabouts of the deteriorating woman’s immediate family.
It wasn’t until after Lineman’s death that the Batt’s alleged scam came to light when the deceased woman’s heirs attempted to access their inheritance, leading to a lawsuit against the estate.
An investigation by the Montgomery County Detective Bureau found that Batt was aware of her senile dementia which required her to have a live-in aide, and instead taking on that role only to betray the woman.
He was one the largest beneficiaries of her estate and was named the executor and trustee.
Prior to her death, Batt spent $30,000 on Lineman’s American Express account, changed the mailing address for the account to his Flourtown residence and added his boyfriend Joseph Spanarelli as an authorized user on the account, according to investigators.
Estate splurge
He also withdrew more than a million dollars from two of Lineman’s bank accounts after she died, prosecutors allege.
Once Lineman died Batt allegedly continued writing himself checks to the total tune of $3,715,318, according to the criminal complaint. Funds which he would completely extinguish leading up to his Wednesday, April 21 arraignment, PEOPLE reported.
Batt is alleged to have spent the funds on, ‘extravagant travel, hotels, gourmet restaurants, theater tickets, wine and spirits, shopping at high-end stores and plastic surgery‘, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele said according to a release. It is unclear what cosmetic procedures Batt underwent.
‘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.’
Trustee and executor refuses to turn over dementia woman’s estate
Except for one $150,000 disbursement to Lineman’s niece, Batt did not pay out the inheritance according to prosecutors.
Batt was removed as Lineman’s trustee by the Honorable Lois E. Murphy, who also ordered Batt to appear and to turn over estate assets, which he refused to do, WPVI reported.
Judge Murphy found Batt in contempt of court in 2023 and again March 19, 2025 and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
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.
At a bail review hearing, Court of Common Pleas Judge Wendy G. Rothstein left the bail unchanged and added a provision regarding the source of bail money to make sure that Batt could not use funds from Lineman’s estate.
Batt was unable to make bail and was remanded to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility. He is due back in court May 6.
Not immediately clear is the amount of funds the man misappropriated from his recent contempt of court last month and his eventual arrest earlier this week.
