On Tuesday, March 3, 2026, CalMatters reported that Ventura County Probate Court Judge Roger Lund has come under scrutiny for his handling of conservatorship cases involving private fiduciary Angelique Friend. The investigation highlights potential conflicts of interest and raises questions about oversight within the California conservatorship system.

The CalMatters investigation reveals that Friend, a private fiduciary appointed by the court to manage the financial and personal affairs of elderly individuals deemed unable to care for themselves, allegedly directed significant business to her husband, David Esquibias, and his in-home care service, Townsgate In-Home Services. Court records indicate that Friend’s clients paid approximately $3 million to the couple between 2019 and 2025, with $2.7 million going to Townsgate.

According to the article, Judge Lund approved payments to Townsgate, despite the apparent conflict of interest, as state rules and the California Professional Fiduciary Bureau’s code of conduct generally prohibit such arrangements. State licensing records suggest Friend was more involved with Townsgate than she disclosed to the court. CalMatters found at least two instances where Friend failed to disclose her husband’s ownership of Townsgate and at least three cases where Lund called her out for hiring the company without prior court approval.

In one case highlighted by CalMatters, Grace Brown’s conservatorship saw $873,000, nearly 80% of her assets, paid to Townsgate for caregiving services between 2020 and 2023. A tentative ruling by Lund in January 2024 noted that at least $583,000 was paid without prior court approval, severely depleting Brown’s funds. Although Lund initially expressed a desire to discuss reimbursing Brown, his final order approved the charges without mentioning any reimbursement.

Following CalMatters’ inquiries, the presiding judge for Ventura County Superior Court reassigned Lund to family court. In February 2026, the new judge, Gilbert Romero, expressed skepticism about approving Friend’s arrangements with her husband, stating that court rules clearly prohibit conservators from engaging in activities with conflicts of interest.

After Lund’s reassignment, a group of lawyers, including Esquibias, requested that the presiding judge reconsider the decision, asserting that Lund upholds rigorous standards of judicial conduct. However, Presiding Judge Matthew P. Guasco declined their request.

 

 

Source: CalMatters