by: Linda Cook
An Eldridge woman was ordered to serve five years of probation after police say she stole thousands from her father.
Cassandra Crafton, 34, appeared Friday in Scott County Court with her attorney, John Moeller.
Earlier, she withdrew a not-guilty plea and pleaded guilty to financial exploitation of an older individual – first offense, and first-degree theft. Other charges were dismissed at the sentencing.
The judge said several people wrote letters in support of Crafton.
Before the sentencing, Crafton read a statement saying she quit her job to care for the older man for about two years in her home. The responsibility, she said, was “overwhelming,” and she began to gamble “as a form of escape.”
She cried as she read her statement. “I was no longer thinking clearly or rationally” as her father’s condition declined, she said.
But Derek Jones, senior assistant Scott County attorney, said “Obviously, this crime is one of betrayal.”
Susan Smith, who is power of attorney and sister of the victim, said her brother now lives in a nursing home in Illinois.
“Cassandra Crafton committed the ultimate act of betrayal,” Smith said in court. For 16 months, “she made a conscious decision to steal” from her father,” said Smith, who traveled from Nevada to appear in court.
“To be honest, Ms. Crafton, the only saving grace in this case is you do not have a criminal history,” Latham said just before he sentenced Crafton. He suspended a sentence of incarceration and gave her five years probation, with terms that she undergo substance abuse evaluation, mental health evaluation, abstain from use of controlled substances and alcohol, and maintain employment.
A theft investigation in 2024
Police say in affidavits that between the dates of Nov. 1, 2022, and April 30, 2024, Cassandra Crafton took and spent about $34,187.95 for personal gain while her husband, Miles Crafton, took and spent about $22,599.10, affidavits show.
Cassandra Crafton “unlawfully electronically wire-transferred the stolen money to Miles through a cash app account while Miles Crafton also received the funds through his cash app account,” according to affidavits. Total loss was $56,787.05, according to Scott County Court records.
On Friday, the prosecuting attorney asked that the court dismiss the case against Miles Crafton as part of Cassandra Crafton’s plea agreement.
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Eldridge woman given probation after thefts from father
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