Miracle Williams shared with a federal judge the tragic circumstances that led to her partner’s suicide, shedding light on the woman she holds responsible for his untimely death.

Robert Tascon had been caught in a legal battle since 2021, Williams tearfully recounted, over his home in the upscale neighborhood of Encino. Investigators revealed that in September, a woman named Caroline Herrling deceitfully sold his property for $1.5 million.

Last year, Herrling, 44, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and was handed a 20-year sentence by Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong.

“He was trying to sell the house so we could start our lives over,” Williams emotionally shared with the judge during Herrling’s sentencing. “The situation made him feel helpless.”

Tascon hailed from a wealthy family in California that had established two trusts for him, providing him with substantial financial resources. However, as per a report from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Tascon developed an issue with alcohol and eventually moved to Abilene, Texas, with Williams in 2018 to distance himself from negative influences.

Despite still receiving monthly trust payments, Tascon’s Encino residence was his sole remaining asset, although it had been inhabited by squatters. The circumstances surrounding how Herrling came to discover the property remain unclear.

According to the U.S. Justice Department, Herrling orchestrated the sale of Tascon’s home by utilizing a co-conspirator with fraudulent identification to pose as the rightful homeowner. Presenting herself as a licensed California attorney representing distressed property owners, Herrling deceived the buyer and proceeded to set up bank and E-Trade accounts to receive the sale proceeds, all executed through identity theft.

Tascon’s attorney, Travis Hartgraves, informed investigators that the house was sold for half of its actual value, with Herrling using the money from the transaction to assist in purchasing a residence in West Hills.

Following the fraudulent sale of his home, Tascon initiated a lawsuit in an effort to reclaim the property, but would ultimately express his resignation, conceding, “I am never going to get my house back,” to Hartgraves.

The emotional toll of the deceitful sale proved too much for Tascon, leading to his tragic suicide on September 11, 2022, at the age of 53. The police report indicated a history of mental illness and involvement in fraud litigation.

During a January 2023 interview with investigators, Herrling denied any involvement in the sale of Tascon’s property, claiming she simply drove him to a notary for the transaction and was only compensated around $150. However, when pressed for details about Tascon, Herrling struggled to provide any specific information, ultimately admitting to profiting from the sale but asserting that she did not leave Tascon destitute.

At the sentencing, Herrling’s defense attorney, Alex Kessel, maintained that there was no direct evidence linking his client to Tascon’s death, emphasizing Tascon’s preexisting mental health struggles and referencing a past suicide attempt in 2021. Kessel stated, “We never know why somebody kills themselves… I haven’t been given in evidence any suicide note where he laid out his state of mind and mental state at the time.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Brown underscored that Tascon had lost his sole property due to the fraudulent sale, a devastating blow that ultimately contributed to his tragic decision.

Agreeing with the prosecution, Judge Frimpong recognized the impact of the property loss on Tascon’s mental state, stating that there was substantial evidence implicating it in his suicide.

Despite Tascon’s plans to leave his assets to Williams, his common-law wife, the deceitful sale of the Encino home left him with nothing to bequeath.

Testifying in court, Williams acknowledged Tascon’s fragility but emphasized how the sale of his home exacerbated an already delicate situation.

Williams, visibly emotional, held onto a framed photo of Tascon as she spoke, describing him as her “best friend.” Struggling to cope with his passing, she revealed that she too had attempted suicide following his death.

“This lady is a big manipulator and a con artist and she’s gotten away with using the dead,” Williams told the judge, urging accountability for Herrling to prevent similar tragedies from befalling others. “Hold her accountable and don’t let her do this to anyone else. Because this has ruined my life.”