York County Couple — Exercising Power of Attorney and Primary Caregiving Responsibilities — Charged with Neglect, Financial Exploitation of Elderly Woman

February 14, 2025 | Topic: Criminal

Victim was found alone, soiled, behind a dog gate in basement of her home

HARRISBURG — Attorney General Dave Sunday announced that a York County husband and wife have been charged with abandoning a care-dependent woman — the wife’s mother — in a basement, while the couple went on vacation.

Ashlee Brady and Brian Brady, each 32, of Hanover, are also charged with using the woman’s finances for their own personal expenses, including vacations and alcohol.

Ashlee was her mother’s power of attorney; Brian was the victim’s caregiver and was reimbursed with Medicaid funds through his employer.

Both are charged with financial exploitation of an older adult/care-dependent person, theft by deception, neglect of a care-dependent person, and conspiracy counts to commit all of the above listed crimes. Ashlee Brady is also charged with perjury and two counts of intimidation of a witness and Brian Brady is charged with four counts of Medicaid fraud.

“These alleged acts are truly disturbing on many levels — as these defendants were not only family, her own daughter and son-in-law, they were paid to look out for this victim’s best interests,” Attorney General Sunday said. “I commend the investigators who uncovered this cycle of abusive and exploitative conduct. My office will continue to stand up for Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable residents.”

In February 2024, the victim was found, alone, locked in the basement of her home. She was soiled and penned into a corner with a dog gate. She had been left with hot dogs and two cups of water. Emergency Medical Services found the victim after a relative called them for assistance.

An investigation determined that the defendants left the victim in the basement and took an overnight trip with their children. Further investigation uncovered alleged financial exploitation, as the defendants used more than $10,000 of the victim’s money on vacations, alcohol, and other activities not related to her care or upkeep.

Also, Brian allegedly submitted hours to his employer, for reimbursement from Medicaid, for services he did not provide the victim. Investigators determined that Ashlee Brady lied under oath about the abandonment incident, saying she made arrangements for a family member to watch the victim.

The Brady’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 27.

This case is being prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Christopher R. Sherwood. Criminal charges, and any discussion thereof, are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

The Pennsylvania Medicaid Fraud Control Unit receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $12,839,940 for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2025. The remaining 25 percent, totaling $4,279,979 for FY 2025, is funded by Pennsylvania.

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York County Couple — Exercising Power of Attorney and Primary Caregiving Responsibilities — Charged with Neglect, Financial Exploitation of Elderly Woman

Bloomfield Township caretaker charged with identity theft, financial exploitation of elderly woman

by Brandon Carr

Marivelis Serrano (WDIV)

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Marivelis Serrano, the accused, is facing an 18-count felony warrant, including a significant charge of embezzlement of $100,000 or more, 12 counts of uttering and publishing, and five counts of identity theft.

Court documents said the Bloomfield Township Police Department was alerted to the financial exploitation of the 85-year-old woman on Jan. 16, 2024.

Officials said they launched an investigation and uncovered that Serrano, 48, from Pontiac, had stolen $160,000 from the victim and transferred the funds to her own accounts.

Police said the 48-year-old woman spent thousands of dollars on online gambling platforms.

Officials say they also discovered that Serrano had illegally used the 85-year-old woman’s debit card to buy thousands of dollars worth of goods, including $6,200 in Amazon purchases and $3,600 in Instacart purchases.

Serrano was employed by the victim and trusted as her caretaker. Her job included house cleaning, transportation, and assistance with other day-to-day tasks.

Officials say Serrano surrendered to the 48th District Court, and at her arraignment, she was given a $50,000 cash surety or 10% bond.

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Bloomfield Township caretaker charged with identity theft, financial exploitation of elderly woman

Palm Beach senior in Toronto ‘Glitter Girl’ exploitation case dies

Palm Beach Sheriff's Office Photo

The death of an elderly Palm Beach woman who was allegedly bilked out of millions of dollars by a once-prominent Toronto socialite “probably” won’t damage the police’s case, according to the Florida town’s top investigator.

Helga Marston, 92, died last week at her West Palm Beach retirement home, an employee confirmed to the Star. Police allege Nancy Tsai, one of the so-called “glitter girls” of Toronto’s high-society charity galas in the 1980s and 1990s, used money from Marston’s trust account to fuel her lavish lifestyle, purchasing a $170,000 Bentley and a $2.3 million penthouse suite, among other things. A doctor quoted in a police affidavit said Marston had “zero” mental capacity due to dementia when Tsai was making purchases with money from her account.

Tsai, 66, whose former name was Nancy Paul, is charged with exploiting an elderly person for more than $100,000, as well as grand theft of more than $50,000 from someone over 65. None of the allegations have been proved in court.

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Palm Beach senior in Toronto ‘Glitter Girl’ exploitation case dies