Josh McRoberts was once battling severe health issues as he played in 81 total regular-season games across his final four seasons. But now the former 11-year veteran is apparently locked in to protect his family. The former Miami Heat star has filed a lawsuit against Zionsville Town Council member Sarah Sampson and her husband, Jon Sampson, accusing them of exploiting his 85-year-old grandmother, Carolyn Pennington, to seize her historical estate.

McRoberts filed the lawsuit through the Boone County courts, and according to the complaint, the Sampsons allegedly used undue influence to take over Pennington’s 150-year-old, seven-acre Indiana estate on Ford Road. Pennington had been diagnosed with dementia and was living in an assisted living facility. The lawsuit claims Sarah Sampson removed Pennington from her care facility while her daughter (McRoberts’ mother) was away on a planned vacation. It further states that Sarah, who was elected to the Zionsville Town Council in 2024, kept Carolyn isolated from her family for weeks.

Pennington died May 6, 2026, less than a month after being taken out of the assisted living facility. While being away from the family, Pennington was pressured into signing over the deed to her property for $750,000. McRoberts also stated that this was far below market value, especially given that he had personally invested $1 million into the estate to preserve it for the family. The filing states that Pennington asked her grandson to pay off the mortgage and help with repairs at the property so it could “stay in their family.”

“During her lifetime, Carolyn has been fiercely protective of the property with a definite intention to preserve the property for her family,” the document alleges. It gets even murkier for the Sampsons, who allegedly failed to notify the family of Pennington’s death and had her body quickly embalmed without family permission.

Thus preventing an autopsy from being performed to determine the exact cause of death. Sampson did not testify at the preliminary injunction hearing.

Response from Sarah Sampson to former NBA star’s allegations

Speaking to WTHR 13NEWS, Sampson had “no comment” on the allegations. Meanwhile, her legal team called them the most salacious allegations. Sarah has claimed she is the rightful trustee of the estate and that she and Pennington were “good friends.” In fact, her lawyers argued that Pennington sold 1.2 acres of her property two years ago, well before any what he called allegations of dementia.

The former NBA star McRoberts maintains that his grandmother had explicitly named him as the proper trustee to keep the property within the family. Because of the severe nature of the allegations outlined in the Boone County Court hearings, public pressure has mounted with widespread calls for Sarah Sampson to resign from the Zionsville Town Council.

Currently, there’s a temporary injunction in place. WTHR 13NEWS confirmed that it’ll run through the 22nd of this month. Then a Boone County judge will have to decide whether to issue a preliminary injunction, with the family asking for Pennington’s grandson to take control of that property.