Elderly exploitation case continues to grand jury

by Cliff Williams

Bettye Baker

A charge of first-degree financial exploitation of an elderly person against Bettye Wells Baker will go to a grand jury.

Baker, 56, of Alexander City appeared before Tallapoosa County district court Judge Kim Taylor as prosecutors presented enough evidence to convince Taylor proceedings should continue.

Alexander City Police Department Det. Drew Machen said he got the case when the victim and her representative at a local bank called the department because the victim thought she was missing $95,000 from her accounts. Machen said the victim, a family member of Baker, reported the money went missing over a period of two years.

“(The victim) explained to me she was living in California and moved here,” Machen said. “She told me she added Baker to her accounts.”

A representative from the victim’s bank testified there were three joint accounts listing the victim and Baker as owners — a money market account, a certificate of deposit and a checking account. The representative said the money market account had no debit card and up to six checks per month could be written on it. The representative said she noticed nothing unusual about the transactions on the accounts.

Machen said he subpoenaed bank records through the district attorney’s office and determined Baker transferred about $44,000 from the victim into three of Baker’s personal accounts.

“It went to two separate accounts with Ms. Baker’s name and another with Ms. Baker and her husband,” Machen said.

Machen said Baker did not have power of attorney rights for the victim. He said the victim told her she added Baker to help out with paying bills.

“(The victim) said because of her age, her memory wasn’t as good as it once was,” Machen said.

Machen said some of the funds transferred from the victim’s accounts by Baker could be attributed to work on the victim’s home air conditioning system.

Machen said Baker assisted the victim with other transactions related to the move from California.

“When she moved her she had a vehicle,” Machen said. “It was registered in California and transferred to just Ms. Baker. It is now in the name of (the victim).”

Machen said he didn’t know if the victim had a driver’s license or insurance on the car.

Other allegations were made by the victim against Baker which Machen could not support with criminal charges.

“(The victim) said Ms. Baker was not allowing her to leave her residence,” Machen said. “She said Ms. Baker was parking behind her. I didn’t find a criminal act.”

Machen said the victim’s car was blocked by Baker’s car in the driveway.

Baker supplied the court signature cards from the bank showing her as one of the joint account holders through her attorney Derrick Blythe.

Machen said he never spoke with Baker in the investigation and banking records were initially supplied by the victim.

“So the entire case is based on what (the victim) told you and what (the bank representative) told you and what you got in the subpoena,” Blythe said.

Taylor bound the case over to a Tallapoosa County grand jury to determine if Baker should be indicted to move the case to trial in circuit court.

Financial exploitation of an elderly person in the first degree is a Class B felony and if found guilty, Baker could be sentenced to between two and 20 years in a state prison.

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Elderly exploitation case continues to grand jury