Lawyers seek bank records in lawsuit against man accused in deadly Fox River boat crash
Lawyers seek bank records in lawsuit against man accused in deadly Fox River boat crash
Richard Stevenson, who is being held in the McHenry County Jail on aggravated DUI and reckless homicide charges, is also facing a civil lawsuit. Stevenson is accused of operating a boat while intoxicated when he struck and killed Magdalena Jablonska on the Fox River.
MCHENRY COUNTY - The estate of Magdalena Jablonska is seeking access to Richard Stevenson’s financial records and asking to expand its wrongful death lawsuit, adding new developments in the civil case stemming from a fatal boat crash on the Fox River.
Lawyers seek financial records
The backstory:
Jablonska was killed on July 25 when a pontoon boat allegedly operated by Stevenson collided with a smaller boat carrying Jablonska and her fiancé, Alan Telmini, near McHenry.
Stevenson faces criminal charges in connection with the crash and has pleaded not guilty.
The civil lawsuit, filed Aug. 5 by Jablonska’s estate and Telmini, seeks damages for her death and the physical and emotional injuries Telmini allegedly suffered.
Stevenson challenges financial records subpoena
In a motion filed Oct. 5, Stevenson’s attorneys asked a McHenry County judge to quash a subpoena served on Busey Bank seeking "any and all accounts and statements" held by Stevenson and any corporation with which he is affiliated.
The subpoena also references a letter dated Aug. 12, 2025, involving an agent identified in the request as Sean C. Gallagher.
Stevenson’s attorneys argue the financial records are confidential and should not be subject to pretrial discovery in a negligence lawsuit seeking compensatory damages. They contend the plaintiffs do not currently have the right to obtain those records.
The motion seeks to block the bank from producing the requested documents. The filing does not establish that the judge has ruled on the request.
Emails reveal why Jablonska’s attorneys are concerned about Stevenson’s assets
The fight over Stevenson’s financial records began with a series of emails between attorneys on Sept. 28 and 29, according to exhibits attached to Stevenson’s motion to quash the subpoena.
In a Sept. 28 email, attorney Michael Krause, representing Jablonska’s estate and her fiancé, Alan Telmini, told Stevenson’s attorney he wanted Busey Bank to preserve Stevenson’s account records because of concerns about potential asset dissipation.
Krause referenced a letter from the bank obtained through a subpoena in connection with Stevenson’s attempted purchase of Dolphin Marina. He said the letter indicated Stevenson had sufficient funding to make the purchase.
Stevenson’s attorney, Peter Moroh, responded that he had no authority to make that request of the bank. Krause then said he would issue a subpoena directly to the bank.
The following morning, Krause laid out his concerns in greater detail, citing several developments he believes warrant scrutiny of Stevenson’s finances.
In the Sept. 29 email, Krause pointed to a pending divorce case in which Stevenson had filed a motion seeking $200,000 from his 401(k). He also cited the reported end of Stevenson’s employment with his family’s company, the attempted marina purchase and the cost of the pontoon boat involved in the fatal crash.
Krause further argued that the available liability insurance — which he identified as $100,000 — could be inadequate to cover a potential judgment in the civil lawsuit.
Krause wrote that Stevenson’s assets "need to be explored now" to ensure they are not unlawfully dissipated.
He offered to enter into a protective order to safeguard Stevenson’s privacy while allowing the financial records to be examined as part of the litigation. He also proposed an alternative: Stevenson could identify the entities holding his income and agree to preserve those assets.
Moroh rejected the justification for the subpoena, writing that Krause’s email did not provide legal authority for obtaining confidential financial information in a pending negligence case seeking compensatory damages.
Stevenson’s attorneys subsequently filed a motion asking the court to quash the subpoena, arguing the requested financial records are not appropriate for discovery at this stage of the case.
The emails document the plaintiffs’ concerns about protecting assets that could potentially be used to satisfy a future judgment. They do not establish that Stevenson has unlawfully transferred or concealed assets, and the dispute over access to his financial records remains a matter for the court to resolve.
Estate seeks punitive damages
In a separate motion filed Oct. 13, Jablonska’s estate and Telmini asked the court for permission to amend their complaint to add claims of willful and wanton conduct and seek punitive damages against Stevenson.
The estate’s attorneys argue that evidence gathered by Illinois Conservation Police supports the proposed claims. According to the motion, passengers told investigators Stevenson drank alcohol throughout the day, operated his boat at high speeds and ignored a passenger’s request to slow down.
The filing also alleges Stevenson drove into a designated no-wake zone without slowing down before his pontoon struck the couple’s boat.
The plaintiffs cite hospital testing that recorded Stevenson’s blood alcohol concentration at approximately 0.20 around the time of the crash.
These are allegations presented by the plaintiffs in support of their motion. The proposed claims have not been established through a civil trial.
Punitive damages, if allowed and ultimately awarded, would be intended to punish particularly serious misconduct rather than simply compensate the plaintiffs for their losses.
The estate is also asking to correct the name of one person previously identified as a respondent in discovery and add two more: Richard "Ricky" Brown and Joanna Stevenson. Respondents in discovery are individuals identified as potentially having information relevant to determining who should be named as defendants.
Stevenson renews bid to pause civil case
Stevenson also refiled a motion on Oct. 5 seeking to pause the civil proceedings until his criminal case is resolved.
His attorneys argue that answering allegations about the crash could jeopardize his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination while the criminal prosecution is pending.
A judge denied his earlier request for a stay without prejudice on Sept. 14, allowing him to refile it as circumstances developed. Stevenson’s renewed motion asks the court to halt the civil case or, alternatively, extend his deadline to respond to the remaining allegations.
What's next:
There is a court hearing scheduled for Thursday morning in McHenry County Court.
The Source: The information in this report came from court filings in McHenry County, exhibits containing emails between attorneys in the civil case, Illinois Conservation Police investigative findings cited in those filings, and previous FOX 32 Chicago reporting.