A Washington man’s death in a house fire led to a years-long estate fraud probe.
Ronald Wisner was detained late last week in Arizona by US Marshals in connection with the case. He is facing several felony allegations in Washington state.
Prosecutors claim Wisner illegally gained control of the victim’s inheritance after his death in 2024, funneling more than a million dollars through financial accounts.
The case began with the death of Michael Flegle, 73, whom an attorney described as “somewhat of a hermit” who “kept to himself.”
Flegle died in a house fire in 2024. According to prosecutors, Ronald Wisner sold Flegle’s automobile only six days after his death. According to court documents, Wisner informed investigators that the two were buddies.
Authorities said it’s unclear how Wisner identified Flegle, although prosecutors did give one option.
“We don’t know for sure how he found Mr. Flegle’s name, but one possibility is that Mr. Flegle’s name was published on the medical examiner’s website,” said senior deputy prosecutor Chris Fyall in an April interview.
Wisner submitted documents to take possession of Flegle’s inheritance, which are important to the lawsuit. Attorney Karen Bertram, who analyzed the case, stated that the papers contained serious errors, including one item portrayed as Flegle’s final will and testament.
“The witnesses who allegedly signed the will were both dead,” Bertram explained, noting that they died in April 2024. “It was odd that both the witnesses were listed on the King County coroner’s list the same week.”
Bertram further claimed Wisner neglected to submit a required oath stating that he had no felony convictions.
“Mr. Wisner, at that time, had already been convicted of 11 felonies, so under Washington law, he could not serve as the personal representative of an estate,” she stated.
Despite these difficulties, investigators claim Wisner seized control of the estate, signing checks and moving substantial quantities of money.
A bank investigator identified the activity as unusual, and King County Detective Robin Fry investigated the financial transactions.
“This detective followed the money and was able to freeze all of those accounts,” Bertram stated.
Ronald Wisner faces 22 criminal charges, including stealing and money laundering. Melissa Wisner, his wife, has been charged with three charges in the case.
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