Home Health Aide Steals $11,000 from Elderly Woman
The Mercury reported the accomplice of a home health aide in Pennsylvania that allegedly stole over $11,000 from an elderly patient was arrested this past week. 21-year-old Goanutaye Goanue reportedly worked together with 24-year-old Mercy Nagbe to steal from an 84-year-old woman. Nagbe was working in the elderly woman’s home when she reportedly stole two credit cards and some of the woman’s checks.
The checks were apparently used to pay for bills including cable television, and mobile phone. Both Nagbe and Goanue are charged with forgery, criminal conspiracy, identity theft, receiving stolen property, access device fraud, theft by deception, and several other charges. A hearing has been scheduled for them on the 6th of January.
Using the cover of a home health nurse or some other assistant for the elderly is the easiest way to gain access to an elderly person’s personal property. Working in this position allows the person to gain a high amount of trust because the elderly person is expecting them to be good people since that person helping to care for them. Nobody ever expects to have their identity stolen and their financial information used without their knowledge. Stealing a person’s identity in general is a terrible crime but it is far worse to steal from an elderly person.
