TROY – A dispute spanning nearly a decade between two animal sanctuary leaders recently ensnared a previous non-combatant, a husband of one of the women.

Circuit Judge David Ash ruled this week that Ryan Roberts has to provide banking, financial, property and tax records from the last four years in an effort to pay a settlement incurred by his wife, Edna.

Nearly a year ago, on July 2, the same Judge Ash ruled Roberts, founder/president of New Leash on Life Rescue, violated a court-approved settlement agreement with Jennifer Raeker-Bickel and Pets Alone Animal Sanctuary. Consequently, he ordered Roberts to return a $225K payment she received from Bickel and PALS’ insurance company stemming from a previous lawsuit (see accompanying story).

In addition to interest, court and lawyer fees, Ash ordered Roberts to pay a total of $275,000.

However, at a debtor’s examination in front of Ash in January this year, Roberts claimed all of the settlement money was gone and thus, she was financially unable to pay the court order.

In an effort to determine where the funds went and whether anything of value was purchased with them, Raeker-Bickel’s attorney obtained a subpoena and court order requiring Ryan Roberts to produce financial records of any accounts he holds jointly with his wife, including retirement accounts where she’s named as a beneficiary.

Wacker accused Roberts of deliberately transferring money to unnamed accounts to avoid its potential seizure, including one the day before Ash ruled Roberts in default.

“We do not have records from Congress or from anyone else reflecting where this money went,” Wacker argued at Monday morning’s hearing. “It’s particularly troublesome … after you entered the default judgment took place on July 2nd, 2024 … on July 1 … there’s a phone transfer request for a payment of $22,000 to be withdrawn from this account. We have no record or understanding or access of where that went.”

The account Wacker referenced was one Roberts opened at Congress Bank after receiving the initial settlement.

Wacker contended more than $200,000 was transferred from the original money market account to other undetermined locations over a period of less than three years.

“There are documents, there are accounts, there are things that haven’t been disclosed to us. Ms. Roberts … swore under oath to Your Honor that she didn’t have access to or knowledge of any of these things. Well, if she doesn’t, then Mr. Roberts does,” Wacker said. “We have strong suspicion that money has been moved out of these accounts … during that same time period when this litigation was going on and understanding that Ms. Roberts did know that she did have a claim against her for those funds.”

Wacker emphasized his client’s right to access this information.

“We have the right to pursue this, the rules allow it, the statute allows it, the case law allows it, and we’re doing everything we can to do it the proper way, and we’re doing it,” he said. “We’re only here at this point, Your Honor, because Ms. Roberts hasn’t provided the documentation herself.”