A Southwest Virginia woman will serve prison time for stealing more than $17,000 from an elderly woman she was supposed to be taking care of, according to Wise County's chief prosecutor.
Rendy Eva Hale, 38, of Dante, previously pleaded guilty to five counts of credit card forgery and five counts of credit card fraud, Wise County Commonwealth’s Attorney Chuck Slemp said in a news release Thursday. Hale received a five-year sentence, with three years and eight months suspended. As a result, she’ll serve one year and four months in prison.
Slemp said Hale was hired as a caregiver around Thanksgiving 2019 to aid an older woman who needed help because of some extensive medical issues. Instead of caring for the woman, Hale stole more than $17,000 of her employer’s retirement funds in just a few short months and hid the theft by intercepting mail from her employer’s bank.
In Wise County Circuit Court, the judge also ordered Hale to complete probation and pay $17,313 in restitution.
“Elder abuse refers to crimes of violence, instances of neglect, and fraud or financial exploitation targeting older adults,” Slemp said. “Elder abuse is a growing epidemic in our area that deserves our attention.”
The National Council on Aging estimates that up to 5 million older Americans are abused every year, and the annual loss by victims of financial abuse is estimated to be at least $36.5 billion. The organization says one in five Americans ages 60 and older has experienced some sort of elder abuse.
Virginia seniors may be losing $3 billion a year, according to data. The Virginia Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services reports that more than 12,000 cases are reported each year.
“My
office remains dedicated to raising awareness in hopes of preventing
elder abuse, and we will continue to aggressively prosecute any and all
crimes against the elderly,” Slemp said.
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