Sunday, July 22, 2012

Woman Accused of Bilking Mom Must Pay Back $100K

A Missoula woman convicted of bilking her elderly mother, who has dementia, of the money from her home received a 10-year suspended sentence. Paulette Homer Ford also was ordered to pay back $100,000 – less than half the amount sought by the prosecution.

“Our elderly family members are being taken advantage of and this is the time we tell the community it’s not OK,” said Deputy Missoula County Attorney Jennifer Clark.

Clark had argued in favor of a 10-year sentence with eight years suspended. She also sought restitution of nearly $208,000, an amount that included attorneys’ fees expended by Ford’s relatives in a long-running battle over control of their mother’s care and assets.

Those relatives were furious when Ford used the proceeds from a reverse mortgage on her mother’s home to pay off her own mortgage and debts. Because of that, they said, there was no money to maintain their mother in a nicer nursing home than the one where she now resides.

Ford was found guilty of exploiting an older person in a bench trial in January. She could have faced 10 years in prison and a $50,000 fine.

Full Article and Source:
Missoula Woman Convicted of Bilking Mom Must Pay Back $100K

4 comments:

StandUp said...

I'm so glad to see resitution.

Thelma said...

Not enough restitution. She should have done jail time for using the proceeds herself, but then she wouldn't be able to make restitution - how much do they pay in jail for prison labor?

Anonymous said...

I'd been happier if she paid restitution and also spent time in jail.

Anonymous said...

I don't understand the phrase, "less prosecutor's fees." Did some of the restitution go to prosecutors and not the person whose money was stolen? The state ordered the mess, with taxpayer money. The judge who ordered this fiduciary-ship should pay the state fees. Senior citiens get put in isolation, worse that jail. Shouldn't those who order it and those who benefit by it be at least put in jail? I love America, with it's fee speech. I get to say these things right, without fear of reprisal, as long as I remain anonymous, so they can't find out who said the truth.