Port St. Lucie woman in jail after being accused of financially exploiting elderly woman

by Olivia Franklin

ST. LUCIE COUNTY — A Port St. Lucie woman is in jail for a second time on fraud charges related to exploiting a woman after gaining her trust, according to sheriff's officials and recently-released reports.

On Wednesday, Sarah Works, 28, was charged with scheme to defraud, fraudulent use of credit cards, and criminal use of personal identification after inserting herself into the life of an elderly woman as her caregiver, according to the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office Facebook page.

Works is currently in the St. Lucie County Jail on no bond, according to sheriff's spokesperson Lt. Andrew Bolonka.

Works exploited the woman to get access to her financial resources and personal identification, sheriff's officials said.

An out-of-state family member noticed suspicious activity on the woman’s bank account and alerted St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, which conducted an investigation. Detectives executed a search warrant in the 200 block of Banyan Drive, in Port St. Lucie to look for evidence and took Works into custody.

It is unclear how much money Works is accused of taking from the woman.

"Fraud and elder abuse are crimes that not only violate the law but also betray the trust of our most vulnerable citizens," Sheriff Richard Del Toro said in the Facebook post. "We will continue to take a strong stance against those who exploit and harm others for personal gain."

Works is accused of a similar incident that happened last month, when she was arrested on charges of grand theft of a motor vehicle and exploitation of an elderly person, according to a Feb. 16 arrest affidavit.

According to sheriff's investigators, a 75-year-old woman reported that she had met Works about a year earlier but recently she had been signing various documents for Works that she did not recall what they were for. She also said she was unaware that Works had arranged to act as her power of attorney, which allows someone to represent or act on another person's behalf. 

The woman explained that she gave Works access to her Discover credit card for food and grocery purchases only. She later found that Works had used her card for charges she did not authorize, according to court records.

Detectives also learned Works had the woman's 2008 Mercedes-Benz without permission. The woman said Works had permission to use her car to pick up food or groceries, but not for personal use. The woman told investigators she wanted to press charges against Works for taking her car without her permission.

Deputies on Feb. 16 pulled Works over in the Mercedes during a traffic stop and took her into custody, records show.

She had been free on bond until her arrest on Wednesday.

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Port St. Lucie woman in jail after being accused of financially exploiting elderly woman