Daleville woman pleads guilty to $25,000 theft from 95-year-old grandmother

Terri Reeves Doughtie

 A Daleville woman has pleaded guilty to stealing over $25,000 from her 95-year-old grandmother in Houston County.

Assistant Houston County District Attorney Kristen Shields said 52-year-old Terri Reeves Doughtie has entered what’s referred to as blind guilty pleas to a two count felony indictment charging her with first-degree financial exploitation of the elderly and identity theft.

Shields said Doughtie pleaded blind to the charges in front of Circuit Court Judge Kevin Moulton, which means there was no agreed upon sentence as part of the plea. Doughtie will be sentenced by Moulton on May 4.

“She stole from her grandmother, who is 95 years old,” Shields said.

Shields said Doughtie pleaded guilty to stealing around $26,000 from her grandmother.

“She was appointed power of attorney, but power of attorney doesn’t mean you can go outside the boundaries of what you are allowed for by law,” Shields said.

Houston County Sheriff’s investigators arrested Doughtie in October 2014 and charged her with felony financial exploitation of the elderly.

Shields said a Houston County grand jury returned the two-count felony indictment against Doughtie, which included the added charge of identity theft for credit cards that were opened in the victim’s name.

“She pawned the title to her grandmother’s car,” Shield’s said. “She spent it on her herself. This is a granddaughter who has completely abused the trust of her grandmother, an elderly person we as society need to protect.”

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Daleville woman pleads guilty to $25,000 theft from 95-year-old grandmother