Melville caretaker arrested for exploitation of the infirmed

by: Seth Linscombe

MELVILLE, La. (KLFY) – A Melville woman was arrested after making several withdrawals from the account of an infirmed person.

According to St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby J. Guidroz, in July, a family member reported to the Sheriff’s Office that his father had been exploited by a caretaker.

Detectives obtained a copy of the victim’s bank statements and it was learned that during the last 4 months, there were two to three unauthorized withdrawals of $200 – $300 per day and other withdrawals for $1,500. The victim’s debit card number was also used to pay the caretaker’s cell phone bill.

The caretaker had also been accompanying the victim to a business in Krotz Springs, where the victim would request $200 – $300 cash back from the cashier when the ATM machine inside the business would not give additional funds.

After reviewing the bank statements, the family member disputed the authorization of funds to the caretaker for the total amount of $13,897.71.  

An arrest warrant was issued on July 24 for the caretaker, Candy Taylor Angona, 58 of Melville on charges of exploitation of persons with infirmities.

Angona was arrested on Tuesday and transported to the St. Landry Parish Jail, where she was booked on the arrest warrant.

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Melville caretaker arrested for exploitation of the infirmed

Stevens pleads guilty to exploitation and intimidation of disabled/elderly adult, gets probation

by Robert Preston

Michael Stevens of Ambrose was charged with multiple counts earlier this year after law enforcement reported that he failed to provide essential services to his mother, Sherry Stevens, who was unable to care for herself at the time. Stevens pleaded guilty to the charge as well as an additional count of possession of methamphetamine on Tuesday.

Last month, DouglasNow published a story on Stevens' arrest, which occurred earlier this year. As previously reported, law enforcement was dispatched to Sherry's home on April 20 after a hospice nurse reported that she and one of Sherry's family members were unable to enter the home. When the deputy was able to make entry into the residence, the victim, who was on hospice care at the time, was found lethargic and dirty.

The report also documented that she was "unable to open her eyes, had audible gurgling and bleeding areas noted to be on her mouth, oxygen saturations of 71%, was in distress, and was covered in her stool."

Stevens was his mother's caretaker at the time and was not on the property. However, his girlfriend, Susie Jewell, was discovered asleep in one of the bedrooms.

While the deputy was still on scene, Stevens showed up at the property and reportedly showed signs of impairment. As the deputy was waiting on assistance from a Georgia State Patrol trooper for a DUI investigation, Stevens gave him consent to search the car, and the deputy discovered a quantity of suspected methamphetamine.

Stevens was charged with possession of methamphetamine, DUI, and exploitation and intimidation of a disabled/elderly adult. Jewell also received one count of exploitation and intimidation of a disabled or elderly adult a few weeks later.

Sherry passed away the following day from, according to the autopsy, natural causes. 

On Tuesday, Stevens pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine (count 1) and exploitation or intimidation of a disabled adult or elderly person (count 3). As a part of the plea, the DUI charge was dismissed.

Stevens was sentenced to 3 years probation for count 1 and 10 years probation for count 2.

Before entering the plea, Stevens had been incarcerated at the Coffee County Jail after being denied bond. Jewell was released on bond last month, and her case is still pending.

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Stevens pleads guilty to exploitation and intimidation of disabled/elderly adult, gets probation 

Woman pleads not guilty to exploiting elderly woman

TEXARKANA, Texas -- A woman accused of stealing more than $17,000 while working as a caretaker for a woman in her 90s pleaded not guilty Tuesday to exploitation of the elderly.

Tiffani Lucille Barker, 37, was taken into custody on an unrelated felony theft charge at the end of her hearing before 102nd District Judge Jeff Addison. Barker expressed surprise when Addison told her she was being taken in on a warrant.

Assistant Public Defender Deborah Moore entered a plea of not guilty on Barker's behalf to a charge of exploitation of the elderly. Barker was free on a $40,000 bond in the exploitation case until her arrest in court Tuesday.

Barker allegedly made numerous cash withdrawals from multiple accounts before the suspected theft was reported to Texarkana, Texas, police in July 2020, according to a probable cause affidavit. Barker was arrested on the exploitation charge in November 2021.

Barker's phone number was allegedly attached to a Discover card the elderly woman's family knew nothing about. Items purchased with the card online were allegedly delivered to Barker's address, and the bill was allegedly paid from one of the elderly woman's bank accounts.

Assistant District Attorney Bradley Akins said the full amount of restitution allegedly owed the elderly victim may have increased since the case was initially investigated.

Barker is currently serving a 10-year term of felony probation in Miller County, Arkansas, for theft of property. According to records in that case, Barker stole more than $13,000 from a Texarkana, Arkansas, couple. Barker's probation in Miller County began April 2, 2019.

If convicted in Bowie County of exploitation of an elderly person, Barker faces two to 10 years in prison.

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Woman pleads not guilty to exploiting elderly woman

3 southern Indiana residents charged with neglect, abuse of woman

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Following a seven month investigation, three people in southern Indiana accused of abusing a 22-year-old woman in their care are facing felony charges.

Indiana State Police began investigating John Staples and Rose-Kathryn Staples in February after they received a report that they physically harmed and confined in their home a woman who was under their guardianship, according to a news release.

Police say the abuse occurred while the woman was in their custody in 2019 and early 2020 in Butlerville. Trudy Henry, a caretaker of the woman, is also accused of placing her in a straitjacket.

All three are facing felony neglect of a dependent and criminal confinement charges and were booked into the Jennings County Jail. 

 

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3 southern Indiana residents charged with neglect, abuse of woman

Man charged for letting grandmother live in bedbug-ridden home

Anthony Allen Millard, Jr.

FLINT, MI – A 38-year-old man has been charged with elder abuse after his malnourished grandmother was found living in a Flint home with a bedbug ridden mattress. 

Anthony Allen Millard, Jr., 38, was arraigned Saturday, Oct. 5 in Genesee District Court on a single count of second-degree vulnerable adult abuse.

Genesee County Sheriff Robert Pickell told reporters Tuesday morning that Millard moved into her home in 2016 as the sole caretaker.

The sheriff’s office elder abuse task force was notified by adult protective services “that they suspected a woman was being abused and neglected,” said Pickell.

He did not specify what led to the alert.

Investigators discovered the 82-year-old woman had been diagnosed with dementia and the woman was unable to walk or prepare food for herself.

“When the investigators went out there along with adult protective services they found that the bed was ridden with bed bugs,” said Pickell. “There was feces around (the home) and that the victim was extremely malnourished. At the time she was taken to the hospital she weighed 95 pounds.”

Investigators also learned Millard allegedly had not taken his grandmother to a physician for more than one year or provided her with medication for months, Pickell said.

He urged those in the community who may suspect someone is neglecting or exploiting an elderly person to contact adult protective services or the task force, which began in 2007.

“We’ve arrested hundreds and hundreds of people on warrants for elder abuse,” said Pickell. “It’s a very active team. We work very closely in the community with medical people, adult protective services. We’ve trained all the front-line people, police on recognizing elder abuse.”

The training has included information on guardianship and power of attorney to working credit unions and banks to combat the financial exploitation of seniors.

“I don’t know that we’ll ever find a remedy to it,” Pickell said. “It’s just people taking advantage of people, greed in many cases.”

If convicted, Millard faces up to four years in prison and/or a $5,000 fine, or both.

He’s being held in the Genesee County Jail on a $10,000 cash or surety bond.

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Man charged for letting grandmother live in bedbug-ridden home

Woman Arrested For Allegedly Bilking An Elder’s Benefits

Mia Rodriguez

Sonora, CA – A caretaker-conservator who allegedly channeled her charge’s benefits was arrested for felony elder crimes.

Tuolumne County Sheriff’s spokesperson Sgt. Andrea Benson says in July of last year, 32-year-old Mia Rodriguez of Sonora, was removed from caring for an elderly dependent adult. However, she continued to receive the victim’s social security and other benefits totaling thousands of dollars.

Following an investigation, Rodriguez was arrested Tuesday and booked into the Tuolumne County Jail on charges of grand theft and theft from an elder or dependent adult. She was assigned a $20,000 bail.

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Woman Arrested For Allegedly Bilking An Elder’s Benefits

Charges: Caretaker took nearly $100K from St. Paul senior

Barbara Joan Siercks

ST. PAUL, Minn. - A Florida woman faces felony charges after investigators say she stole nearly $100,000 from an elderly St. Paul woman.

Barbara Joan Siercks, 68, of Paisley, Florida, is charged in Ramsey County with two counts of financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult.

The criminal complaint states that between Sept. 2014 and March 2015, Siercks, a caretaker, took $97,150 from a 96-year-old woman.

Investigators believe Siercks wrote dozens of checks to herself from the woman's account, having the senior sign them while knowing she lacked the capacity to consent. The charges state Siercks also withdrew cash from the woman's account via ATM.

In July 2015, the victim signed a Power of Attorney with a longtime friend. The friend discovered several of the transactions, including checks written out to Siercks or "cash." The woman then contacted police about her suspicion that her friend was being financially exploited by Siercks.

Siercks was charged by summons and is set to appear in court later this month. If convicted, she faces up to 30 years in prison.

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Charges: Caretaker took nearly $100K from St. Paul senior

Caretaker accused of embezzling thousands from elderly Ann Arbor woman

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Local police agencies are reporting a rise in scams involving senior citizens, and most of the scammers are those who were supposed to care for them.

One of those incidents involves an 89-year-old Ann Arbor woman who fell victim to her greedy caretaker.

According to police, Cheryl Elaine Smith of Lakeland is accused of stealing over $100,000 from the victim.

Smith was helping the victim with in-home care at the time of the embezzlement.

During this period, Smith allegedly opened bank accounts in the victim’s name, including credit cards that Smith would use for her own personal purchases.

The family of the victim took notice when the bank accounts showed significant and unexplained withdrawals.

This is not the first time Smith has been in trouble involving an elderly person and stolen funds.

In 2015, Smith's family petitioned the Livingston County Court for the removal of her name on her mother’s estate after allegations of her taking Florida trips and putting her own name on her mother’s property and pocketing $100,000 from her mother’s account.

Smith has been charged with embezzlement of a vulnerable adult between $50,000 and $100,000, and larceny of more than $20,000.

She is expected back in court next week.

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Caretaker accused of embezzling thousands from elderly Ann Arbor woman

Sentencing hearing begins for support worker convicted of elder abuse

A sentencing hearing began Tuesday for a personal support worker convicted of elder abuse.

Danilo Alcala, 62, pleaded guilty to sexual assault and sexual exploitation of a person with a disability – a 95-year-old war veteran with dementia. Alcala has been in jail for almost a year.

The Crown is asking for three to five years in jail, while the defense is asking for no further jail time.

The family of one of his victims was too distraught to attend Tuesday’s hearing, but it was their hidden camera that triggered the police investigation.

On July 9, 2015, the family of the 95-year-old man hired Alcala through Spectrum Health Care. The son of the victim had installed a camera in the living room where his father spends most of his time in order to keep an eye on him while he was away at work. While at work, he checked the camera and saw Alcala sexually assault his father.

Alcala attended the home, located near Broadview and Mortimer avenues, six times and sexually assaulted the victim on three of these occasions. The sexual abuse included forced masturbation and oral sex.

Police arrested Alcala on July 16.

In the course of the police investigation, two other complaints came to light. One of the elderly men involved in those complaints has since passed away. The Crown is not proceeding on a second sexual assault charge, related to that man.

Crown layer Karen Simone argued Wednesday that Alcala is a risk to reoffend and his comments during pre-sentencing are “ridiculous.”

“He has a lack of remorse … and blames the victim” for the sexual assaults, Simone said. Alcala also claimed he “was not aware he couldn’t do it.”

Alcala’s lawyer Scott Bergman countered that the media attention was a deterrent and that the Google searches will not go away.

“This is far more effective than jail time,” Bergman said.

Simone said that Alcala should not get a “media discount” on his sentence.

In an argument that Bergman himself said was difficult to make, he said there is no evidence of the impact the sexual assault had on the victim. His dementia makes it a grey area.

“In the video … when you see the victim … I am suggesting there is no resistance. That’s what I see,” Bergman said.

The judge will sentence Alcala in late July.

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Sentencing hearing begins for support worker convicted of elder abuse

Couple allegedly robbed by caretaker: “It’s like somebody taking a knife and stabbing you in the back”

Yorktown, Va. – Trust. It’s what 92-year-olds Ruth and Edward Martin say lost them nearly $14,000.

“I always trusted her. I really did. We had no reason not to trust her; she came across so sincere, but it was all not true ,” the couple told NewsChannel 3.

They’re talking about their previous caretaker, Michelle Conley.

The couple hired her privately after a recommendation from Edward’s friend. For a year, the Martins treated her like family. They loved her.

“It’s so hard when you see a friend that would do what she did to me. I couldn’t believe it.”

Court documents say Conley used Ruth’s credit card to make dozens of charges on just about everything including, hotels, concert tickets, bills, zumba classes and more.

“When the bank statements came in, we never got them because she was at this end here in a position to intercept them.”

It didn’t end there. Court papers say Conley cashed multiple checks from Edward.

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Couple allegedly robbed by caretaker: “It’s like somebody taking a knife and stabbing you in the back”