A Zionsville town councilor has yet to address accusations of elder abuse that are in a lawsuit filed by a former NBA player, as an attorney for some defendants in the case is asking for more time to respond to the allegations.
Sarah Sampson, a Republican elected to the Zionsville Town Council in 2023, would not comment on the lawsuit when asked by IndyStar at the conclusion of a Zionsville Town Council meeting on the morning of June 15.
The lawsuit was filed by Josh McRoberts, a former Indiana Pacers player and Carmel High School standout, and his mother, Jennifer McRoberts, on June 1. The lawsuit is in connection with property that was owned by Carolyn Pennington, who was the grandmother of Josh McRoberts and mother of Jennifer McRoberts.
Pennington died on May 6 at 85. She had lived at a property on Ford Road in Zionsville that included about seven acres of land. Sampson and her husband were her neighbors.
In October 2025, Pennington moved to an assisted living facility in Carmel as she could no longer care for herself, her home or her dogs. But Pennington was later taken out of the assisted living facility by Sampson, the lawsuit filed by Josh McRoberts and Jennifer McRoberts reads.
The assisted living facility called the police, then Sampson told the facility that Pennington was staying with her. The lawsuit alleges Pennington was isolated and did not have the care she needed after Sampson took her out of the facility.
It also alleges that Pennington was prevented from speaking or meeting with any member of her family by Sampson and that Sampson did not notify the family when Pennington died. Sampson arranged for the body to be embalmed, which prevented an autopsy from occurring to determine the cause of Pennington’s death, the lawsuit reads.
Before her death, an attorney worked with Pennington on a new will and other legal documents despite warnings from Jennifer McRoberts and Josh McRoberts that Pennington was not healthy enough to go forward with those actions, the lawsuit states.
On April 30, Pennington was in the hospital and signed a deed conveying her property on Ford Road in Zionsville to Sampson and husband for $750,000, which was significantly below its fair market value, according to the filing.
“[The defendants] abused that relationship to [Pennington’s] detriment and caused damage, such that all purported transfers are presumed to be the product of undue influence and constructive fraud,” the lawsuit reads.
Meanwhile, the Boone County Democratic Party has called for Sampson to resign because of the allegations in the lawsuit filed against her. Sampson, on June 15, told IndyStar she would later comment on the call to resign.
Evan Norris, a Zionsville town councilor and vice president of the Boone County Republican Party, also chose not to comment on the call for Sampson’s resignation.
Sampson’s attorney in the lawsuit is Nicholas Plopper, who she defeated in the 2023 primary election for her town council seat.
“The Sampsons vehemently deny the allegations in the lawsuit and will be releasing a statement at an appropriate time,” Plopper told IndyStar via email when asked for comment on behalf of Sampson.
Attorney asks for more time in Zionsville lawsuit
The lawsuit also names Michael L. Einterz as a defendant. Einterz, an attorney, met with Pennington after she was removed from the senior living facility and drafted new legal documents related to Pennington’s estate in the final days of her life, including the April 30 document that conveyed Pennington’s home to Sampson, according to the lawsuit.
The attorney representing Einterz, Einterz’s law firm and another employee from the firm in the lawsuit filed a motion on June 12 asking the court for more time to respond to the lawsuit.
“The undersigned counsel needs an enlargement of time within which to respond to Plaintiffs’ complaint,” reads the motion from the defendants’ attorney. “A reasonable and necessary time within which to respond to Plaintiffs’ Complaint would be 30 days or until July 27, 2026.”
Judge Matthew Kincaid, of the Boone Superior Court 1, has not yet ruled on the defendants’ motion.
Contact Jake Allen at jake.allen@indystar.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @Jake_Allen19. Click here to get Hamilton County news sent straight to your inbox and subscribe to the IndyStar North newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Zionsville councilor declines comment on lawsuit filed by ex-NBA player
Reporting by Jake Allen, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jake Allen, Indianapolis Star | USA TODAY Network
