Daughter of Detroit business owner scammed out of inheritance by Shelby Township financial advisor

Ernie Romer III facing two felony counts of embezzlement

DETROIT – Fired financial advisor Ernie Romer III remains in the Macomb County Jail, facing two felony counts of embezzlement.

READ: Shelby Township financial advisor charged with 2 counts of embezzlement

Meanwhile, Mary Ann Chirco's inheritance from her father is gone after Romer talked her into giving him almost a quarter of a million dollars.

Mary Chirco's father, Alphonese Chirco, owned Al's Fish Market at Detroit's Eastern Market. He worked so that he could leave his daughter money when he died. He left Mary money, but when she used her father's financial advisor, Romer, she lost that money.

"He broke my heart because my dad and my mom, they would be really, really upset," Mary Chirco said.

MORE: Shelby Township financial advisor accused of fraud, stripped of brokerage license

While in court Thursday, Romer claimed he wasn't able to come up with $60,000 to make bail.

"He's a slime ball," Mary Chirco said. "Who could do that to somebody?"

Mary, a 65-year-old medical office receptionist, was planning on retiring on her inheritance money, but cannot do that now.

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About the Authors:

Rod Meloni is an Emmy Award-winning Business Editor on Local 4 News and a Certified Financial Plannerâ„¢ Professional.