Cornell woman charged with stealing from disabled relative

Cindy L. Dicus

Cindy L. Dicus didn’t waste time.

At about 9:30 a.m. April 25, she attended a hearing before Judge James Isaacson where she was removed as a guardian of the estate of one of her relatives. The hearing ended about 10 a.m.
Prosecutors said at 10:05 a.m. Dicus withdrew $995 from the relative’s account, leaving a balance of $5.36.

Dicus, 62, of Cornell is charged in Chippewa County Court with felony theft on April 5 and seven counts of misdemeanor theft on dates ranging from April 7 to May 15. The felony charge is from the city of Chippewa Falls, and the misdemeanor charges are from Chippewa Falls, Cornell and the town of Lake Holcombe.

Dicus is scheduled to appear before Judge Steven Gibbs at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 22. She has signed a $1,000 signature bond.

According to a criminal complaint: A Chippewa County social worker contacted the Cornell Police Department on July 1 over a reported fraud case.

Police found Dicus had become guardian of a relative’s estate on Sept. 22, 2015 and was removed as guardian for not finishing required federal paperwork. Because of that, her relative lost his Medicaid benefits, including his living expenses at a nursing home.

Dicus was officially removed as guardian on April 25, 2017, and the county took over as the guardian for Dicus’ relative and the relatives’ bank records were turned over to the county.

It was found the relative was issued a back payment from Social Security of $19,180 on April 3, 2017, and the check was made out to the payee, “Cindy Dicus for (the relative’s initials).” Dicus then opened an account for the relative at a financial institution in Chippewa Falls on April 5, where she deposited $10,180. “A transaction slip showed defendant Dicus had taken $8,000 in cash,” the complaint said.

A bank account statement dated May 30 showed 69 transactions from the account, but none were for the care of Dicus’ relative. Among the transactions were $1,435 to Xcel Energy, $217 for Charter cable, $766 for Larson’s Auto in Cornell, $303 for the Holiday store in Cornell and $60 to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to reinstate a driver’s license.

A check dated May 3 for $1,009 from the U.S. Treasury was deposited into the account of Dicus’ relative about a week after Dicus was removed as the relative’s guardian. Several transactions were made using the funds. When the bank account was closed May 30, a total of $8.37 was left in the checking and savings accounts.

The nursing home where the relative is staying reported on June 1 no financial transactions or money from the relative’s Social Security proceeds was turned over by Dicus for the relative’s care.

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Cornell woman charged with stealing from disabled relative