Charges: Caretaker took nearly $100K from St. Paul senior

Barbara Joan Siercks

ST. PAUL, Minn. - A Florida woman faces felony charges after investigators say she stole nearly $100,000 from an elderly St. Paul woman.

Barbara Joan Siercks, 68, of Paisley, Florida, is charged in Ramsey County with two counts of financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult.

The criminal complaint states that between Sept. 2014 and March 2015, Siercks, a caretaker, took $97,150 from a 96-year-old woman.

Investigators believe Siercks wrote dozens of checks to herself from the woman's account, having the senior sign them while knowing she lacked the capacity to consent. The charges state Siercks also withdrew cash from the woman's account via ATM.

In July 2015, the victim signed a Power of Attorney with a longtime friend. The friend discovered several of the transactions, including checks written out to Siercks or "cash." The woman then contacted police about her suspicion that her friend was being financially exploited by Siercks.

Siercks was charged by summons and is set to appear in court later this month. If convicted, she faces up to 30 years in prison.

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Charges: Caretaker took nearly $100K from St. Paul senior