3 accused in alleged $800K elder exploitation scheme headed to Mobile County grand jury

by Ella Snapp 

MOBILE, Ala. (NBC 15) — Three people accused of financially exploiting an 88-year-old Mobile County man out of hundreds of thousands of dollars will have their cases presented to a grand jury following preliminary hearings Thursday.

Melissa Lynn Hobden, Nora Powe Hobden and Michael Lewis Crouch are facing felony charges in connection with the alleged financial exploitation of Tom Baxter.

During Thursday's hearings, Mobile County Sheriff's Office Detective Tanner Cheshire detailed an investigation involving hundreds of thousands of dollars in checks, two Satsuma properties and two iPhone 17s.

Chief Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Sussman described the case as an example of what she called a "crime of secrecy," saying fear and shame can prevent elderly victims from speaking up.

Prosecutors say the connection to Baxter began through his late wife, Peggy, who had Alzheimer's.

Nora Hobden cared for Peggy before she died, according to testimony Thursday. Prosecutors say that relationship gave Hobden access to Baxter and his family.

"She was a caretaker for his deceased wife who had Alzheimer's before she passed. So, she had access to him that way," Sussman told NBC 15.

Prosecutors allege Nora Hobden, her daughter Melissa Hobden and Melissa's romantic partner, Michael Crouch, later financially exploited Baxter over a period of several years.

Investigators traced checks connected to the case beginning in 2020 and continuing through 2025.

Cheshire testified some checks contained memos describing payments for things such as "sitter," "education" and "labor."

Baxter told investigators he recognized signing some checks but claimed he did so under duress. He told investigators other signatures were not his.

According to testimony Thursday, Baxter told investigators Melissa Hobden would ask him for checks and money and allegedly threatened to accuse him of sexual abuse if he refused.

Investigators also testified that Melissa Hobden did report an allegation of sexual abuse against Baxter in 2021.

According to testimony, Hobden alleged Baxter reached his hand up her shorts.

That investigation was later closed after investigators said they were unable to reconnect with Melissa Hobden to continue the investigation.

The allegation was not adjudicated, and the closure of that investigation does not establish whether the allegation was true or false.

Investigators say Baxter later told them he felt pressured by the alleged threats when he transferred two Satsuma properties to Melissa Hobden in 2021, listing that Melissa was his daughter.

The investigation also uncovered two iPhone 17s allegedly purchased through Baxter's AT&T account while he was hospitalized in 2025.

Cheshire testified Baxter had allowed Melissa Hobden and her son to be on his phone plan but said he had not authorized the purchase of the two phones.

Investigators say the phones were shipped to Melissa Hobden's address.

Investigators estimate checks connected to the case total approximately $628,000.

When the value of the two properties is included, investigators estimated the alleged losses at approximately $800,000.

Earlier in the investigation, Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch told NBC 15 investigators were still awaiting additional financial records and believed the eventual total could exceed $1 million.

Prosecutors say the alleged exploitation did not come to light because Baxter initially reported it himself.

Instead, they say a fall sent him to the hospital and prompted his daughter, Tammy, who lives in Kentucky, to come to Alabama and look into her father's affairs.

"He was afraid," Sussman said. "And the fact that he was extorted didn't come to light until he had a bad fall. He was in the hospital and his daughter came down from out of state and checked into his affairs and learned that he had been horrifically victimized to the tune of almost a million dollars."

The Sheriff's Office received a complaint in November 2025 after Baxter's daughter noticed large transactions involving her father's finances, according to testimony.

Cheshire said he began investigating in January and interviewed Baxter multiple times.

Sussman told NBC 15 cases involving elderly victims can be difficult to uncover because victims may feel embarrassed or ashamed about what happened.

"One of the reasons that we don't see them as often is there is a lot of shame associated with an older person who is exploited," Sussman said. "There's a reason that an entire genre of crimes is created around it. They're being targeted. It's predatory. It's calculated. It's intentional."

She encouraged families to regularly check on elderly relatives and friends rather than assuming a victim will tell someone if something is wrong.

"This is a crime of secrecy often," Sussman said. "Please reach out to the family members and friends in your community. Let them know that this is not something they need to be ashamed of."

Sussman said reporting suspected exploitation early can also increase the chances investigators will be able to recover money for a victim.

"We want to help prosecute, but the earlier we do it, the more likely we are to have a good result and achieve restitution," she said.

The District Attorney's Office also has a unit aimed at intervening in financial scams targeting elderly residents, including a growing number involving cryptocurrency. Sussman stressed that cryptocurrency was not involved in Baxter's case.

Following Thursday's preliminary hearings, Judge Johana Bucci sent the cases against all three defendants to a Mobile County grand jury for further review.

The grand jury will determine whether there is sufficient evidence to indict the defendants and move the felony cases forward in circuit court.

Prosecutors also indicated Thursday that they want to move quickly to preserve Baxter's testimony because of his declining physical health and his age.

Sussman said prosecutors currently have no reason to believe Baxter is experiencing a mental deficit, but said preserving testimony is a concern prosecutors regularly face when handling cases involving elderly victims.

"We have no reason to think that he is at this time undergoing any sort of mental deficit," Sussman said. "But in order to make sure that we preserve the integrity of what he has to say so that he can adequately convey his experience and how he was victimized, we want to make sure to go ahead and take that testimony early."

Melissa Hobden, Nora Hobden and Michael Crouch have not been convicted of the charges against them. Their cases remain pending. 

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3 accused in alleged $800K elder exploitation scheme headed to Mobile County grand jury 

2 accused of stealing more than $200,000 from elderly Gwinnett woman through spoofing

By Matt Johnson, WSB-TV 

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A Gwinnett County grand jury has indicted two Florida residents accused of draining more than $200,000 from a 75-year-old Snellville woman’s bank account.

Ruiz Rember, 22, and Iesha Delcane, 22, both from the Miami area, face nine felony counts including elder exploitation, identity fraud, computer theft and conspiracy.

“It’s very serious, especially in this case. This woman lost a lot of money,” Cpl. Ryan Winderweedle with Gwinnett County Police said.

According to arrest warrants, the scheme began in August 2024 when the victim received what appeared to be a legitimate message from Bank of America about fraud on her account.

“When they click that phone number, that phone number is spoofed and then goes to somebody committing the fraud, who then presents themself as some kind of bank fraud department,” Winderweedle said.

The suspects asked for a security code sent to her phone. Once she provided it, investigators say they gained full access to her account.

“They were able to make numerous withdrawals from her account, totaling over $200,000 and sending them to various locations in other cities,” Winderweedle said.

Detectives tracked the suspects through ATM withdrawals and security camera footage. Investigators recovered about half of the stolen funds.

Neither suspect needed to be in Georgia to commit the crime.

“They can be out of state. They can be out of the country. These can originate from other countries, other continents,” Winderweedle said.

Rember joined Delcane in the Gwinnett County Jail last Thursday. Both are being held without bond.

“These criminals, they’re going to ask for a security code. Do not provide that security code,” Winderweedle warned. “A bank employee is not going to ask you for that security code. When they ask for that, that’s a big indication that it’s fraud.” 

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2 accused of stealing more than $200,000 from elderly Gwinnett woman through spoofing

Woman accused of elder exploitation

Emily A. Adams(Baldwin County Corrections Center)

By WALA Staff

FOLEY, Ala. (WALA) - A 45-year-old woman is behind bars on charges of elder exploitation.

Emily A. Adams of the Sardis community was booked into the Baldwin County Corrections Center Friday morning and faces four felony charges, including one count of financial exploitation of the elderly and three counts of third-degree possession of a forged instrument, authorities said.

Foley PD said they began investigating after getting a report Jan. 6 about fraudulent activity and, with the help of the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, arrested Adams.

Police said Adams admitting to forging three checks belonging to a family member.

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Woman accused of elder exploitation

Great Falls woman allegedly stole more than $20K from 82-year-old

Karen Mills Thomas

A local woman faces a second set of charges for elder exploitation after authorities claimed she stole more than $20,000 from an 82-year-old woman over the past two years.

In September 2018, Adult Protective Services received a referral regarding financial exploitation by Karen Mills Thomas.

Thomas, 66, currently has criminal charges pending for elder exploitation against a different victim.

According to charging documents, Thomas offered to help an elderly woman with her finances after she broke her arm. The woman resides in a local nursing home.

The woman claimed she had not seen her bank or credit card statements in several years because Thomas had them all sent to her home address. The woman asked to see the statements, but Thomas would not bring them to her.

The woman said when she went to her credit union to review her bank account, she noticed changes she had not made. She showed the manager her debit card, which had expired, and the manager told her she had been sent a new card. The address where the card was sent belonged to Thomas.

A teller at the bank provided a letter indicating that Thomas had identified herself as the alleged victim and provided a password for her account.

Upon review of the bank statements, APS found that Thomas had not paid any of the woman’s bills in more than a year. The woman’s credit report showed several new accounts that she claimed she did not open or give permission to open, and some of the woman’s existing accounts had balances she said were much higher than those she had accrued.

In October 2018, the alleged victim requested a change of address from Thomas’ address to her own and began receiving bills in her name.

It was also discovered that Thomas’ alleged lack of payment had landed the woman in collections on several accounts for balances she had not accrued.

Thomas allegedly racked up debts at Sears, Pier 1, Herberger’s, Montgomery Wards and Target. She also allegedly signed up for Direct TV under the woman’s name and had the service hooked up at her own address.

The affidavit states that a total of $20,619.98 is unaccounted for in the alleged victim’s credit union account, and this total does not include the expenditures on the woman’s existing credit cards and accounts or the new credit cards and accounts that Thomas allegedly opened in the woman’s name.

In August and September 2018, Thomas allegedly wrote a total of three checks for the woman’s rent at the nursing home that were returned for insufficient funds.

Thomas was arrested on a warrant with a $10,000 bond.

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Great Falls woman allegedly stole more than $20K from 82-year-old

Elder care worker arrested for exploiting 90-year-old tenants

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) - An elder care worker in the city of Buffalo has been indicted on financial exploitation charges.

47-year-old Rhonda Henderson went before a judge Friday to be arraigned on the seven count indictment.

Henderson is accused of abusing her position as Senior Service Coordinator at St. John Tower, to financially exploit three tenants. The victims were all over the ago of 90.

The alleged crimes happened between November of 2014 and August of 2017. Prosecutors say during that time, Henderson used multiple methods to steal from the three victims, including check diversion, unauthorized use of two of the victims' debit cards and the misappropriation of one of the victim's Funeral trust accounts after she passed away.

If Henderson is convicted, she faces up to seven years in prison.

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Elder care worker arrested for exploiting 90-year-old tenants

Federal court dismisses lawsuit filed by woman accused of elder exploitation

BENTON – An Illinois woman charged with elder exploitation has lost her bid to sue Madison County after the U.S District Court for the Southern District of Illinois dismissed her lawsuit with prejudice.

Cynthia M. Crawford-Green held the health care power of attorney for her uncle, Carl Dickerson, and was the executor and beneficiary according to the terms of his will. He died in 2010. She was charged with exploitation of an elderly person and a warrant was issued for her arrest. The order states she was pulled over in Missouri in January.

According to Illinois Legal Aid online, “The Elder Abuse and Neglect Act assures that local agencies will be funded by the Illinois Department on Aging in order to offer help to persons age 60 and older who may be abused, neglected, or exploited by family, household members, or caregivers. Any person who suspects the abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation of such a person may report this suspicion to the designated local agency.”

Crawford-Green filed suit against Madison County over allegations that she had been deprived of her constitutional rights pursuant to pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. The complaint alleged that the people of Madison County wanted her to pay her uncle’s medical bills after his death, and there was no probable cause to issue the warrant.

She sought a reversal of her state court sentence, plus compensatory and punitive monetary damages. After her arrest, she lost her job, lost her home to foreclosure, and her property was seized, the order states.

On Aug. 17, the case was dismissed by the district court. Judge J. Phil Gilbert ordered that the plaintiff would recover nothing and the case was dismissed on the merits with prejudice.

In its decision, the court notes that “The named defendant in this case is 'people of Madison County Illinois.' In order to obtain relief against a municipality or other local government unit, a plaintiff must allege that the constitutional deprivations were the result of an official policy, custom, or practice of the local government.”

Crawford-Green failed to prove her case, the court ruled.

“Plaintiff has not alleged that the deprivations she complains of were made pursuant to an official policy or custom, and has provided no facts that would make such an allegation plausible. Therefore Plaintiff has not adequately pleaded a claim against Madison County,” the memorandum and order stated.

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Federal court dismisses lawsuit filed by woman accused of elder exploitation

R.I. court dismisses suit brought by Warwick woman accused of elder exploitation

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The state Supreme Court has dismissed a lawsuit brought against the Coventry Police Department by a Warwick woman who has repeatedly been accused of exploiting elderly men — most recently an aging veteran diagnosed with dementia.

The high court upheld a ruling by Superior Court Judge Bennett Gallo dismissing a suit brought by Carel Callahan Bainum, a longtime Warwick resident who ran for mayor in 2014. Bainum had accused the Coventry police of maliciously prosecuting her for trespassing when she visited an elderly man with dementia at the Coventry Health and Rehabilitation Center while donning a blond wig to disguise herself.

The case stems from Bainum’s relationship with Michael Koczan, a World War II Army Air Corps veteran who died in in 2013 at age 96. Bainum was visiting Koczan in the center’s secure dementia ward on Oct. 16, 2009, when Coventry Officer Ryan Desisto asked her to leave, at the center’s request. She was told, too, that Koczan’s daughter, Kristin Wild, was seeking to halt all Bainum’s visits to her father.

Still, Bainum continued to visit Koczan, wearing the blond wig. Staff eventually recognized her, leading Coventry police to charge her with willful trespass.

A trial was held in Superior Court in 2010 in which Bainum, Warwick’s onetime animal-control supervisor, represented herself. A jury, in 55 minutes, convicted her of the misdemeanor count. Judge Edward C. Clifton gave her a one-year suspended sentence with probation and ordered her not to contact Koczan.

Bainum then filed suit, accusing the department and individual officers of malicious acts, altering police reports and perjury. She charged that they had colluded and conspired against her.

She told The Providence Journal prior to her trespass trial that Koczan, who suffered severe cognitive impairment and a host of physical problems, was being kept “a prisoner” in the Coventry nursing center. She claimed to be Koczan’s friend and said she wanted to call attention to his plight.

Koczan told nursing home staff that he wanted to leave, marry Bainum and “live happily ever after.”

H. Reed Cosper, who was the state’s mental-health advocate at the time, alleged in a prior guardianship petition that Bainum was exploiting Koczan and had a history of “financial and emotional exploitation of elderly men, particularly veterans.”

Bainum vehemently denied that she was an elder predator.

Gallo in 2015 dismissed Bainum’s claims as meritless. The judge found that Bainum’s malicious prosecution allegation hinged on whether the police had probable cause to prosecute her for trespass.

Gallo found that her conviction “conclusively establishe[d]” the required probable cause.

The high court agreed.

“Further, the plaintiff’s malicious-prosecutions claim ... requires that the criminal proceeding terminated in the plaintiff’s favor. Here, the plaintiff’s criminal willful-trespass conviction clearly demonstrates that the prior proceeding did not terminate in her favor,” Justice Gilbert Indeglia wrote for the court.

Bainum, whose phone number at Sunnyside Drive was disconnected, could not be reached for comment. But she has been the subject of much litigation in Rhode Island courts.

Providence lawyer, David J. Strachman, sued Bainum on behalf of Vartan Baligian, who loaned her $120,000 in 2002. In 2007, the year the loan was due, it was rewritten to become an 11-year-interest-free note. Baligian died in July 2008. A judge has ruled that Bainum had “hoodwinked” Baligian into signing the new loan documents and has blocked her from disposing of assets until the civil-fraud case is tried.

Strachman said the $179,207 judgment awarded in that case has not been paid. Of the Koczan ruling, Strachman said, “It’s a disturbing involvement with yet another extremely old senior citizen.”

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R.I. court dismisses suit brought by Warwick woman accused of elder exploitation