The Mob Informant with a $100 Million Inheritance

Lee Power, a wealthy widow, would eventually sign away more than $100 million in her will to a man she had known for two years, Alben Sagan or, as he was also known, The General. The two met in late 2008, and Sagan soon became her ever-present companion. Over the next few years, Sagan became the president of her real estate companies, negotiating multi-million-dollar sales. Upon Power’s death, her family was curious as to why 90% of her fortune was left to a man they barely knew. Shortly after, her sister wrote a scathing letter to the Manhattan Surrogate’s Court objecting to the will. 

So who is Alben Sagan? Sagan was a ex-military officer who had given testimony on several organized crime figures, eventually forcing him into the witness protection program. Eventually, Sagan could not handle the lifestyle and reverted back to his old lifestyle in New York with longtime friends. Trying to keep his past a secret, he was unable to hide when he was set to inherit $100 million. 

Currently, Sagan’s past life is at the forefront of a fierce legal battle over the validity of Power’s will. Lawyers for Power’s nieces allege that Sagan preyed on a wealthy woman suffering from dementia to gain control over her real estate portfolio, which is estimated to be worth around $80 to $120 million. Sagan claims that Power was of sound mind when she drafted her will.     

See James Fanelli, How a Mob Informant Who Left Witness Protection Got $100M from a Widow, dna info, September 20, 2016. 

Special thanks to Joel Dobris (Professor of Law, UC Davis School of Law) for bringing this article to my attention.