Police: Brockway woman stole nearly $200k from elderly man

by Rebecca Parsons

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — A Brockway woman is in jail after she allegedly stole nearly $200,000 from an elderly man who was in her care, according to police.

Kelly Wright, 55, is facing felony charges after she allegedly exploited an 86-year-old man, according to a report from the Brookville Police Department. Wright transferred nearly $200,000 from the victim in April of 2023.

The transfers were as follows:

• On 4/21/23: $101,504.11 was transferred from the victim’s account to Wright’s account
• On 4/28/23: $97,939.08 was transferred from the victim’s account to Wright’s account

According to the criminal complaint, on April 26 the victim signed their power of attorney over to Wright after his physician found him to be in a “mental state of incapacitation” due to memory loss among several cognitive and physical issues. The first transfer that Wright did was before she had obtained power of attorney from the victim, according to the complaint.

Wright allegedly told a representative with the Jefferson County Area of Agenngy that after the transactions were made, she then cashed out the money and gave it to the victim. Officers reached out to Wright to set up an interview. On two separate occasions, she failed to show up to those interviews, according to police. Wright failed to show proof of having used the funds for the victim or the estate of the victim.

According to the criminal complaint, officers obtained the warrants to search Wright’s personal accounts. The accounts showed that Wright had taken the money from the victim and allegedly used it to pay off her loans.

Wright is in Jefferson County Prison after being unable to post 10% of her $200,000 bail. She is facing felony charges of financial exploitation of an older adult or care-dependent person, theft by failing to make required disposition of funds and theft by unlawful taking. 

She has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Sept. 27.

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Police: Brockway woman stole nearly $200k from elderly man