WACO, Texas (KWTX) – A person who was one of four individuals charged with improperly caring for and financially taking advantage of Johnnie Sharp, the 79-year-old widow of former Big Red president Donal Sharp, stepped down as her legal guardian on Friday, three weeks following his arrest on serious criminal charges related to her well-being.
McLennan County Court-at-Law Judge Vik Deivanayagam took in Chad Justice’s resignation as guardian during a short hearing that was attended by friends and supporters of Sharp’s son, Brad Sharp, along with individuals from the McLennan County District Attorney’s Office, who are handling the prosecution of Justice and his co-defendants, including his mother and brother.
The hearing was initiated following a request submitted by Brad Sharp’s lawyers, John Mabry and John Lewis, who stated that Sharp intends to pursue guardianship of his mother’s “significant estate” and her care.
Meanwhile, the judge assigned the nonprofit social service organization Friends for Life as temporary custodians for Mrs. Sharp’s care, removing Chad Justice’s control over her welfare.
Deivanayagam named Friends for Life as trustees of Mrs. Sharp’s estate following a hearing in September 2024, and also designated Chad Justice as her caregiver after receiving a statement from Mrs. Sharp expressing her preference that her son not serve as her guardian.
This changed after Chad Justice, his brother Jay Justice, their mother Mary Justice, and Jay Justice’s girlfriend Cassandra Draper were charged. All four are still out on bail and were not present at Friday’s court session.
Mabry stated that Mary Justice and Johnnie Sharp were friends, and he and Brad Sharp think that she and her sons “created a rift between Brad and his mother in order to gain financially, which is precisely what they have been charged with.”
Mabry stated that he believes the family has stolen “hundreds of thousands of dollars” from Johnnie Sharp.
We believe the facts will demonstrate that Mrs. Sharp was dealing with dementia, memory loss, confusion, and significant physical and cognitive difficulties when she signed that statement, and it was the outcome of undue influence and deception by Chad Justice, his brother Jay Justice, Jay’s wife Cassandra Draper, and their mother Mary Justice,” Mabry stated. “Each of them has been charged with criminal offenses related to physically harming Johnnie Sharp and financially taking advantage of her.
Chad Justice, 51, faces charges including causing harm to an elderly person, which is a first-degree felony, exploiting an elderly individual, a third-degree felony, and putting an elderly person at risk, classified as a state jail felony.
Mary Justice, 79, faces charges including causing harm to an elderly person, putting an elderly individual at risk, and exploiting an elderly person.
Jay Justice, aged 54, and Draper, 36, face charges of exploiting an elderly person.
Court documents indicate that Jay Justice is still under felony probation for a 2015 incident where he was found guilty of aiming an AR-15 rifle at two teenagers who were at his daughter’s house in Robinson at 1 a.m.
McLennan County’s District Attorney, Josh Tetens, stated on Friday that his office is currently reviewing whether it will seek to revoke Jay Justice’s probation due to the new charge.
