Suspect pleads guilty to stealing from 90-year-old

Clara Nanette Owens

COLUMBIANA – A 51-year-old Vinemont woman will spend the next year on work release after she pleaded guilty to stealing from a 90-year-old victim she was caring for in the summer of 2015.

Clara Nanette Owens, who lists an address on Cullman County 1078 in Vinemont, pleaded guilty to one felony count of financial exploitation of an elderly person during a Feb. 26 hearing at the Shelby County Courthouse.

As a result of her guilty plea, she was sentenced to a total of one year in the Shelby County Community Corrections’ work release center followed by two years of supervised probation. She received 68 days of jail credit for time she served in the Shelby County Jail before her guilty plea.

Through a plea agreement with prosecutors, four counts of fraudulent use of a credit card were dropped against Owens.

As conditions of her sentence, Owens must pay $941 in restitution to the victim, and must avoid initiating any contact with the victim. If Owens fails to complete the work release program or comply with any other conditions of her sentence, she could spend up to 10 years in prison, according to her sentencing order.

The Alabaster Police Department arrested Owens on Nov. 17, 2015, and charged her with the financial exploitation of an elderly persona fraudulent use of a credit card counts.

Alabaster Police Lt. Grant Humphries said the charges came after the department began investigating several fraudulent credit card charges made at stores in the city between June 3-23, 2015.

After examining the credit card activity, investigators determined Owens was using a 90-year-old man’s credit card to make personal purchases without the victim’s authorization. Owens was the victim’s caregiver at the time.

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Suspect pleads guilty to stealing from 90-year-old