Watch CBS News

Officials: Man Accused Of Killing Hedge Fund Founder Father Fit To Stand Trial

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A forensic psychologist hired by the Manhattan District Attorney's office says a man accused of killing his hedge-fund founder father over a cut in his allowance is fit to stand trial.

Thomas Gilbert Sr., 70, was found with a fatal gun wound to the head inside an eighth-floor apartment on the East Side in January 2015.

Police said the shooing stemmed from a domestic dispute between Gilbert and his now 31-year-old son, Thomas Gilbert Jr. According to police, the two had were quarreling over money.

Investigators concluded the scene was staged to look like a suicide. In the younger Gilbert's apartment in the Chelsea neighborhood, authorities found bullets, empty shell casings, 21 blank credit cards and a device for stealing card numbers, according to court documents.

Gilbert Jr. was arrested and later arraigned on murder charges. He also was charged with criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a forgery device.

Gilbert Jr. pleaded 'not guilty.' 

Alex Spiro, Gilbert's attorney, said Gilbert Jr. has a history of delusions and psychotic symptoms going back at least a decade. He previously informed the judge he would present a mental health defense if the case goes to trial.

A 2009 Princeton University graduate, Gilbert Jr. circulated among the Manhattan society fundraiser scene, hung out in the Hamptons and recently filed papers signaling plans to start his own hedge fund.

He told authorities he made about $3,000 a month working full-time in finance, according to court documents.

But police said he was in debt and had no recent work history. He also was facing a criminal contempt case accusing him of harassing a friend in the Hamptons _ and he'd been questioned about a suspicious fire that burned down the friend's father's mansion, Southampton Town police said. No arrests have been made in the arson probe.

Gilbert Sr. was the founder and president of Wainscott Capital Partners, a $200 million company based in New York City.

(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.