Elderly Caretaker Convicted of Forgery, Fraud, and Elder Abuse
A woman in Long Beach who worked as a caretaker was sentenced to 4 years in state prison after she was accused and convicted of elder abuse, forgery and fraud. The woman reportedly stole a 74-year-old elderly woman’s life savings while she provided in-home care for the woman.
There was also an additional special circumstance added onto her sentence for stealing over $1 million from the elderly woman, however that special circumstance was later removed by the jury due to lack of a paper trail. If that special circumstance had remained on the woman’s sentence, she would have faced more than the 4 years she was later sentenced to. The elderly woman under the perpetrator’s care required 24-hour care after she suffered a stroke. Over the next several years while under the perpetrator’s care, the perpetrator emptied the elderly woman’s entire bank account by writing several checks and transferring them to 63 different bank accounts.
According to this report, the woman allegedly purposely neglected and abused the elderly woman in order to get her to sell a strip mall that she owned for several years. The perpetrator then took the money and used it for her advantage. Unfortunately, this is the type of treatment that many elderly people face. They are often taken advantage of and they are left with nowhere to turn for help. The elderly victim in this incident lost all the money she could lay claim to all because of a selfish caretaker. In many instances, the elderly people being forced to go through this financial elder abuse never turn to anybody for help because they fear they may suffer retribution or not getting the help they need. However, no matter what the situation may be, you or your loved ones should always seek help from competent professionals who are able to help them regardless of the situation they may be in.
It is sad to note that the elderly are the most vulnerable victims of forgery. Those who are responsible for committing such crimes should be held accountable. Hopefully, more comprehensive legislation will be passed in order to protect the elderly from these types of crimes.