Stevens woman stole over $800,000 from grandfather: police

by NATHAN WILLISON

West Earl Township police have charged a Stevens woman with deceiving her grandfather out of $810,750 in 2022 after being given access to his finances. 

Sarah F. Shanely, 39, is charged with felony counts of financial exploitation of an older adult and theft by deception after police say she became controlling of her grandfather’s estate planning. 

According to charging documents, after the death of her grandmother, Shanely was one of three people given power of attorney for her grandfather. Her grandfather was in his 80s and was under emotional distress from the death of his wife and was suffering from an injury after a fall.

Police say it was determined during an estate planning meeting that $15,000 to $18,000 would be gifted to family members to shield it from taxation. 

After learning from an attorney there was no limit on the amount that could be gifted, police say Shanely told her grandfather he should gift $200,000 to each of his three grandchildren. However, he told her he did not want to distribute that much as he also wanted to leave money to his two sons. 

According to an affidavit, in July 2022 Shanely wrote four checks from her grandfather’s bank  for $200,000 each. That same month, Shanely issued a payment of $10,750 from her grandfather's bank account to a private school her son attends. Police say the grandfather did not authorize the transaction. 

Police say the grandfather, along with the two other people serving as powers of attorney, repeatedly asked for the money to be returned due to confusion over what he was signing, but Shanely refused to return the money. 

Investigators concluded Shanely did not act in her grandfather’s best financial interest. An attorney representing Shanely did not return a request for comment Saturday. 

Shanely was released on $50,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 21, 2025. 

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Stevens woman stole over $800,000 from grandfather: police