3 charged for allegedly stealing thousands from 87-year-old Hamilton County woman

by Matthew Dietz

CINCINNATI —  Three people have been charged after investigators alleged that they financially exploited an 87-year-old Hamilton County woman.

Hamilton County prosecutor Connie Pillich’s office announced charges against Thomas Dukes, Fray Chaney, and Jennifer Smith on Wednesday.

According to the prosecutor’s office, the suspects befriended the 87-year-old victim at church and targeted her for exploitation.

Investigators said the suspects obtained power of attorney and withdrew $70,000 from the woman’s bank account for personal use.

Investigators said Dukes and Chaney bought a Tesla online through Carvana in the victim’s name, pretending to be the victim, while Smith allegedly stole her Cadillac.

The prosecutor’s office said the victim’s total losses are estimated to be more than $122,000.

“These charges reflect the calculated exploitation of an elderly victim,” Pillich said. “My office will seek accountability for the harm that was done. This is exactly why I strengthened the Elder Justice Unit. We will make sure seniors are protected.”

Dukes, Chaney and Smith were indicted on charges of theft from a person in a protected class, identity fraud against a person in a protected class and telecommunications fraud. 

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3 charged for allegedly stealing thousands from 87-year-old Hamilton County woman 

Trion Woman Charged with Theft, Elder Exploitation After $57,000 Reported Missing

A 68-year-old woman is facing felony charges after authorities say she stole more than $57,000 in cash and valuables from her elderly relative in Trion. Margie LaVoughn Yusko, 68, has been charged with felony theft by taking and exploitation of the elderly or disabled, following an investigation initiated on July 21, 2025.

According to the responding deputy’s report, a family member of the alleged victim stated that Yusko had been living in the residence and was suspected of taking a substantial amount of cash, silver coins, and a checkbook. The family member also noted that Yusko had previously been involved in an incident involving fraudulent checks. However, criminal charges were not pursued at that time due to a private repayment agreement.

The elderly resident of the home told deputies that several sums of cash had gone missing over the past few months from multiple hiding places within a bedroom, including:

• $17,000 from a black cash box in the closet (last seen 3–4 months ago)
• $35,000 and 40 Kennedy silver dollars from a tan box on a bedroom table (last seen 2 months ago)
• $5,350 and a checkbook from under a pillow (last seen 3 weeks ago)

The resident reported that only two people had access to the home during that time—himself and Yusko.

When questioned by deputies, Yusko denied any involvement, stating that she would not “be dumb enough” to repeat past mistakes. She claimed the missing items were likely misplaced or lost.

Deputies informed the reporting family member that due to Yusko’s extended stay in the home, a formal eviction process would be required to have her removed. 

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Trion Woman Charged with Theft, Elder Exploitation After $57,000 Reported Missing 

Couple charged with $1 million theft from elderly estate | 28/22 News

Source:
Couple charged with $1 million theft from elderly estate | 28/22 News 

Shelbyville Resident Faces Charges Following Allegations of Financial Exploitation

by Chandelar Williams

Shelbyville, TN - A Shelbyville resident, Mary Ann Pruitt, is facing serious charges following an investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation's Medicaid Fraud Control Division. The investigation began after concerns were raised by the Tennessee Department of Human Services Adult Protective Services regarding possible financial exploitation.

Mary Ann Pruitt, born on April 20, 1942, allegedly had possession of a debit card belonging to a former tenant of her residence, who was a recipient of TennCare. It's alleged that over a span of about two years, Pruitt used the tenant's debit card for personal purchases and cash withdrawals across multiple counties without authorization.

On Monday, the Bedford County Grand Jury issued indictments against Pruitt, charging her with one count of Financial Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult and one count of Theft. Subsequently, authorities arrested Pruitt on Wednesday and placed her in custody at the Bedford County Jail. Bail was set at $25,000.

DISCLAIMER: All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The arrest records or information about an arrest that are published or reported on NewsRadio WGNS and www.WGNSradio.com are not an indication of guilt or evidence that an actual crime has been committed.

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Shelbyville Resident Faces Charges Following Allegations of Financial Exploitation

Bradley University Director of Nursing Arrested on 10 Counts of Theft

Image: Dr. Shelley Hawkins Peoria County Jail

By: Kathleen Gaines

The top nursing administrator at Bradley University in Illinois is in hot water after being arrested on multiple counts of theft. Dr. Shelley Y. Hawkins, the department chair and director of nursing at Bradley is facing 10 counts of theft. Each count is listed as an allegation of theft, valued at less than $500, according to Peoria County Jail records. 

Peoria County Jail records indicate that Dr. Hawkins was arrested on February 21st and released on bond the same day. Her bail was set at $1,000 and she paid a $60 fine. In Illinois, thefts under $500 are considered a Class A misdemeanor. 

Shelley Hawkins's full jail record can be viewed here. 

At the time of publication, Dr. Hawkins is still actively employed by Bradley University and there is no statement from Bradley at this time. There is also no information regarding the alleged victims or items of the theft. 

Hawkins' Nursing Experience

Image: Shelley Hawkins, Bradley University 

Dr. Hawkins joined Bradley University in June 2022 after 35 years in nursing higher education. Prior to joining Bradley University, Dr. Hawkins was a Professor and Associate Dean at Texas Woman’s University College of Nursing, Dallas Center. Furthermore, she has worked at the University of Connecticut, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, the University of San Diego, Yale University, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the University of Virginia, and Auburn University.

In 2007, Dr. Hawkins was inducted as a Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (FAANP). In 2018, she was elected President of the Council on Collegiate Education for Nursing (CCEN) of the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB). Dr. Hawkins was appointed as the Director of the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) Leadership Mentoring Program in 2019 and continues to serve in that capacity. Recently, she was selected as a Fellow of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Wharton Executive Leadership Program.

This is an ongoing news story and will be updated as additional information becomes available regarding the case and Dr. Hawkins's employment status. 

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Bradley University Director of Nursing Arrested on 10 Counts of Theft

2 Arrested For Allegedly Exploiting Blind, Elderly Woman With Dementia

A caretaker and her partner have been arrested in Miami-Dade for allegedly financially exploiting a blind, elderly woman with dementia, prosecutors said.

Evelyn Dinora Lopez De Ramirez De Hernandez and Yuri Hernandez, both 45, allegedly gained access to the victim’s finances and stole about $130,000 from her, according to the office of State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle.

“This poor woman needed care and assistance, which is why she hired De Ramirez De Hernandez,” Fernandez Rundle said. “But what she allegedly received was an apathetic concern about her daily physical needs and a greedy hand rummaging through the finances intended to provide for her care. These issues are what make crimes against our disabled and our elder residents so troubling.”

Ramirez De Hernandez is charged with one count of exploitation of elderly/disabled over $100,000, one count of theft from elderly over $50,000 and one count of organized fraud over $50,000. 

Hernandez is charged with one count of theft from elderly over $50,000, one count of organized fraud over $50,000 and one count of conspiracy to commit organized fraud over $50,000.

L-R: Evelyn Dinora Lopez De Ramirez De Hernandez and Yuri Hernandez

The arrests occurred after relatives of the victim in North Carolina received a call from the victim’s investment advisor, notifying them of an odd telephone call he received from the victim asking to withdraw $40,000.

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2 Arrested For Allegedly Exploiting Blind, Elderly Woman With Dementia

Why it took so long to bring a disbarred Middle Tennessee lawyer to justice

by Dennis Ferrier

SUMNER COUNTY, Tenn. (WZTV) — Even though he had at least 127 victims, it took years to bring Hendersonville’s Andy Allman to justice.

Why did it take so long? Partly because Allman is a lawyer and he is convicted of robbing people with a pen, paper and smile. But for many of his victims, it would have been better to have been robbed at gunpoint.

Back in early 2017, FOX 17 News packed the station with Allman’s alleged victim. Horror story after horror story. At the time, Allman’s law license was merely suspended but had been under investigation since 2014. A secret investigation. His clients had no idea who they were hiring.

Allman is accused of stealing Cathy Brown's entire inheritance: $230,000. Much of that money was supposed to go to her nephew Baylor Bramble, the Murfreesboro teen horrifically injured in a high school football game.

Andy Allman (Sumner County Jail)

Cathy Brown created a whole group of Allman victims, that’s how we all met. FOX 17 News started putting the pressure on the board of professional responsibility to do something significant and finally, in 2018, he was disbarred.

“That took longer than it should have for sure. I really think your story prompted that to happen. I yelled, fussed, sent letters complaining, didn’t get anywhere but when your story broke it put pressure on them to disbar him. They had a stack this big of complaints and they hadn’t done anything about it until then,” said Brown.

The board of professional responsibility that oversees lawyers says it just took time, there were so many complaints from so many people and everything had to be thoroughly investigated.

Meanwhile, the criminal charges percolated. After being arrested for the Bramble theft, Allman was charged with 18 counts of felony theft in Sumner County.

Kevin Dycus hired Allman to put his late wife’s insurance policy in his son’s name, the $106,000 disappeared the next day.

“I guess I was just naïve and expected he’s going to go to jail that day. Andy’s knowledge of the legal system he was able to game it for some time,” said Dycus.

He would hire and fire lawyers, and get delay after delay. Finally, Sumner County Judge Dee Gay said enough, we are going to trial. Allman represented himself in Sumner County.

The jury found him guilty of 18 counts of felony theft—a possible but improbable 81 years in jail.

The victims are thrilled, but they will not get back any of the $1.1 million owed them, and it’s actually more. Noreen Gibbons didn’t just lose her legal fees, she lost her case, she missed all the deadlines, she says she lost more than a million dollars by hiring Allman, who at the time was in big trouble with the board of professional responsibility. But again, it was a secret investigation.

“He shouldn’t even have had his license to practice law when I hired him. It had already been established that there were multiple complaints and there was no way of knowing that,” said Gibbons.

During the trial, it came out how quickly Allman converted the client's money into his money.

It was just enlightening to see how fast the money would go in and how quickly it would go into Andy’s trust and then dispersed into personal finances, business expenses, european vacations, almost 20 thousand dollar engagement rings, an Alaska trip, boats, clubs,” said Kevin Dycus.

Brown still waits for her justice in Davidson County and her opportunity to address Andy Allman.

“I don’t know if I even have words that I want to say to him. He caused delays in my nephew’s treatment. Caused duress on our whole family. He tore my whole life apart. I lived with such guilt for so long that I chose him for my attorney and he betrayed me,” said Brown.

I spoke with the prosecutor in the case Thomas Dean. He wrote:

This victory belongs to the victims. They testified and had to endure cross examination by Mr. Allman himself. Each of them honestly demonstrated the painful circumstances of their cases. All withstood the travail of testifying and being cross examined by someone who they once trusted as their attorney. Their testimony was the lynchpin to our success. The thanks, handclaps, and hugs from the victims after a hard-fought verdict like this one are the things a prosecutor remembers and cherishes long after the details of a trial fade from memory.

Sentencing is scheduled for mid-January.

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Why it took so long to bring a disbarred Middle Tennessee lawyer to justice 

 

See Also: 

Attorney again charged with theft as trial nears 

 

FERRIER FILES: Disbarred lawyer arrested again

 

 

Couple working as caregivers in Hoover arrested

A Hoover resident came forward to report some property and cash had been stolen from the home. The victim had been using a caregiving service to help around the home.(WRDW)

HOOVER, Ala. (WBRC) - Two people working as caregivers in Hoover are in jail.

At the end of October, a Hoover resident came forward to report some property and cash had been stolen from the home. The victim had been using a caregiving service to help around the home.

Authorities determined some of the property had been pawned at several stores.

Two caregivers were arrested Tuesday in Hoover.(Hoover PD)

Donterra Shapree Jones, 30, of Birmingham is charged with first-degree theft of property in Shelby County and two counts of first-degree receiving stolen property in Jefferson County.

Jeffery Wayne Keeth, 27, of Birmingham is charged with first-degree receiving stolen property in Jefferson County.

Jones and Keeth were arrested Tuesday.

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Couple working as caregivers in Hoover arrested

  

Woman charged with theft of police beneficiary funds

By: Melissa Hudson

LA PORTE COUNTY, Ind. -- A La Porte County woman has been charged with fraud for allegedly receiving police pension funds after the death of her mother, according to Michigan City Police and state audit reports.

Pamela Westphal, 62, was charged in September 2020 with one count of fraud.

The investigation began in January 2020, when Michigan City officials notified the Indiana State Board of Accounts that police pension benefits were still being deposited into an account of a beneficiary who died in 2015. The city said it was never notified of the beneficiary's death.

The original beneficiary, Russell Yorkey, received monthly pension payments from the time of his retirement until his death in 1998. His widow, Henrietta Yorkey, received his pension from 1998 until her death in June 2015.

Westphal did not notify the city of the death of Yorkey in 2015 and the pension benefits were still deposited into Yorkey's bank account, according to the Indiana State Board of Accounts.

The amount deposited between Yorkey's death in June 2015 to December 2019 totaled over $75,000, investigators said.

Investigators found Westphal had received guardianship over her mother's estate two years before her death and had access to her mother's bank account, reports said.

Board investigators said Westphal transferred over $65,000 from her mother's bank account to her own bank account, reports said.

Additionally, Westphal paid over $4,000 in bills directly from Yorkey's bank account, reports said.

The state asked Westphal to reimburse Michigan City $75,399.31 for the pension overpayments and the state $2,800.12 for the cost of the investigation. The information was also passed along to the Indiana Attorney General and the local prosecuting attorney.

Westphal was arrested on September 3 on one count of theft. She was released on bond.

As part of the investigation, the Indiana State Board of Accounts determined Michigan City did not have sufficient internal controls to terminate pension benefits when a beneficiary dies. The city responded to the state and said it would be implementing controls including a yearly form for each active pensioner.

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Woman charged with theft of police beneficiary funds

Alabama judge charged with theft, ethics violation resigns

ATHENS, Ala. - A north Alabama judge accused of misusing court funds and stealing money from clients has resigned from his post.

Former Limestone County District Judge Doug Patterson announced he would be stepping down effective July 3, according to a letter to the Alabama Supreme Court filed Tuesday.

“The unescapable reality is that I cannot financially, mentally, or emotionally continue to fight the full weight, power and resources of the State of Alabama in two different theaters,” Patterson wrote in the letter, saying the move should not be viewed as an admission of guilt.

The former judge was suspended after being indicted on felony charges of use of official position for personal gain, financial exploitation of the elderly and theft of property in December 2019. He has pleaded not guilty to the counts, news outlets reported.

The Alabama attorney general’s office accused Patterson of using $47,000 intended for juvenile court programs on personal expenses. The former judge also was accused of improperly withdrawing about $47,800 from the account of a nursing home resident for whom he had served as a conservator, as well as between $499 and $1,500 from the estate of another client.

The case was scheduled for trial in June but was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic, news outlets reported. Jury trials in Alabama remained paused until September. Patterson was set to face a separate trial at the Alabama Court of the Judiciary on the ethics charge this week, but that trial was also postponed.

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Alabama judge charged with theft, ethics violation resigns

Lawyer stole from clients to renovate home

A Melbourne lawyer has been jailed for stealing more than $260,000 from clients

by Karen Sweeney

While suburban lawyer John James Kotsifas was living the high life with money he stole from his clients, they were getting deeper and deeper into debt.

He bought and renovated a million-dollar property, installed a swimming pool and paid golf club green fees with money entrusted to him by clients and friends.

Then it all came undone.

Already bankrupt, disbarred and living back home with his mother, his life hit a new low on Thursday when he was jailed for six years for his crimes.

Kotsifas was convicted of 23 charges, including the theft of $267,000 from clients and another $1.49 million he was supposed to have held on trust for them.

He is not to be confused with another Melbourne solicitor named John Andrew Kotsifas

Kotsifas helped himself to more than $400,000 he held on trust for one client.

She identified 27 transactions by him that she hadn't authorised, including the payment of his golf club green fees and settlement fees for properties she didn't own.

He stole $20,000 from another client to install a swimming pool and pay a real estate agent.

Kotsifas held more than $200,000 for stamp duty fees he never paid, costing the client another $167,000 out of pocket for the tax.

He has a history of disciplinary proceedings dating back to 2006, including VCAT proceedings that were underway for trust account offences during this offending.

A forensic accountant had to be brought in to sort through the mess he left.

When the $450,000 he had left on trust was paid out after his practice shut down, clients received just 47 cents on the dollar back.

One woman said she felt preyed on by Kotsifas, who destroyed her financially and left her on the brink of homelessness because of his greed.

Another said Kotsifas was a solicitor for her gravely ill, and now deceased, husband for 20 years.

He trusted Kotsifas as a friend and would have been gutted by the betrayal, she said.

Kotsifas, a twice married father of four, said he was under financial pressure when he committed his crimes, blaming pressure from his second wife to sustain a certain lifestyle.

He bought a $1.2 million Balwyn North property with a substantial mortgage and had a second large loan to cover renovations so he could then sell that home to buy a $2.4 million English Tudor-style home in Balwyn.

Kotsifas spent clients' money to rent the second Balwyn home during the purchase process.

But he defaulted on the first two mortgages rendering him unable to buy the other property, costing him his $247,000 deposit.

Supreme Court Justice John Champion said Kotsifas' offending was calculated, repeated, significant and a sustained betrayal of trust.

He posed as a solicitor and confidante to people he was meant to be on friendly terms with, but manipulated them and stole their money, he said.

Kotsifas must serve at least four years before he's eligible for parole.

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Lawyer stole from clients to renovate home

Attorney again charged with theft as trial nears

by Tena Lee

Andy Allman

A Hendersonville attorney scheduled to go to trial next week for stealing money from several clients was booked into jail on Monday on an additional theft charge.

Andy Allman, 50, was indicted by a Sumner County grand jury on charges of theft of more than $10,000 and falsely representing himself as a lawyer, according to court documents filed March 5. He was arrested March 9, and is being held on a $2.5 million bond.

A once popular attorney and former candidate for state representative, Allman was temporarily suspended by the Supreme Court of Tennessee’s Board of Professional Responsibility in September 2016 after complaints of misconduct and the misappropriation of funds. He was disbarred from practicing law in 2018.

His arrest comes exactly one week before a jury trial is set to begin in Sumner County Criminal Court where he is charged with 35 crimes that allegedly occurred over a four-year period between Dec. 2012 and Dec. 2016.

Following an investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations, a Sumner County grand jury indicted him on 28 charges in Aug. 2017. A separate grand jury indicted him in Dec. 2017 on 11 more charges.

The charges included 12 counts of theft of $1,000 to $10,000; 12 counts of theft of $2,500 to $10,000; 9 counts of falsely representing himself as a lawyer; two counts of theft of $10,000 to $60,000; two counts of theft of $60,000 to $250,000; impersonating a licensed professional and practicing law without a license. Four of the theft charges were dismissed by prosecutors in June of 2019. He has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.

According to the most recent indictment, Allman unlawfully took control of more than $54,000 by telling and convincing the victim that the property was in a trust account when it had in fact been unlawfully converted and used by Allman. The disbarred attorney also falsely represented himself as a lawyer to the same victim from August of 2019 until February of 2020, the indictment states.

Sumner County Assistant District Attorney Ron Blanton said the most recent case was also investigated by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations.

Blanton said he hopes the new charges won’t delay next week’s trial.

“We are opposed to any continuance,” he added. “We’re ready to go.”

Allman’s trial is expected to last two weeks and will include more than 60 alleged victims and other witnesses, according to Blanton.

Allman is also charged with theft of $60,000 to $250,000 in Davidson County for allegedly depositing a $230,000 check belonging to a client into one of his personal accounts. That trial is scheduled to begin April 13.

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Attorney again charged with theft as trial nears

Defendant in $1M embezzlement scheme waives prelim

Gloria Byars

by Alex Rose

One of three defendants charged with embezzling more than $1 million from approximately 112 victims through court-appointed guardianships has waived a preliminary hearing in district court, according to online court records.

Gloria F. Byars is scheduled for formal arraignment March 25 in Media. Her attorney, Sharon Denise Alexander, did not respond to an email Friday seeking comment.

Byars is charged with hundreds of counts of theft, conspiracy, receiving stolen property and failure to make required dispensation of funds. Co-defendants Keith and Carolyn Collins, both pastors of the Church of the Overcomer in Trainer, each face 45 similar charges. Byars is Carolyn Collins’ sister.

According to an affidavit of probable cause, Byars was hired by Robert Stump as an office manager for RES Consulting in 2008. Before she was fired in October 2016, Byars allegedly opened a bank account in the name of one person for whom RES had been assigned as guardian and transferred more than $182,000 to an account she controlled.

She also allegedly took files on cases where she assisted as a guardian from the RES office and established a company called ICU Records and Billing, which the affidavit identifies as a “shell company.”

Investigators executed warrants at businesses associated with Byars and discovered $855,964 worth of unauthorized transactions into ICURB, according to her affidavit.

The affidavit alleges additional funds had been funneled into two other shell companies, ACC Medical and CWR Medical, which were depleted and used for personal expenses like Netflix, trips and hotel stays.

Investigators also discovered $28,739 had been issued from ICURB to the Church of the Overcomer between June 2015 and February 2017, according to the affidavit. Keith and Carolyn Collins, of the first block of Princeton Avenue in Ridley Park, also owned and operated another guardianship company, Pinnacle Guardians LLC, according to the affidavits. Carolyn Collins allegedly deposited at least two checks from the bank accounts of two different wards in March 2016 totaling $8,986 into an ICURB account for unknown reasons.

Pinnacle was stripped of all guardianship cases in Delaware County in February 2017, after a nursing home complained it was not receiving Social Security payments for a 94-year-old ward living there.

An investigation revealed 18 of 25 wards assigned to Pinnacle had suffered approximately $110,319 worth of unauthorized transactions between November 2016 and May 2017, according to the Carolyn Collins affidavit.

The total amount of fraud alleged comes to $1,009,172 and involves 112 victims in Philadelphia, Delaware, Bucks, Berks, Montgomery and Lancaster counties. All of the alleged victims are over the age of 60 and many are in their 80s and 90s.

Keith Collins, a longtime staple of the church community and Democratic candidate in the 2011 County Council race, denied the allegations when he was arrested in October.

“I’m a pastor and if there were donations made, people are allowed to make donations to the church,” he told reporters outside the county courthouse in Media.

“Each defendant has their own situation,” said Keith Collins’ defense attorney Enrique Latoison Friday. “This is not a ‘conspiracy’ where everyone is working together. Byars, she did what she did. Keith, as far as I’m concerned, is 100 percent innocent.”

Latoison said his client never had a guardianship assigned to him and he does not intend on waiving a preliminary hearing in that case, scheduled for April 2 before Magisterial District Judge Elisa C. Lacianca.

Michael Dugan, representing Carolyn Collins, said he likewise intends to litigate the case on behalf of his client on that same date. While people waive preliminary hearings for different reasons, Dugan said, he believed in this case it was indicative of Byars’ culpability.

Court records indicate Keith and Carolyn Collins posted 10% of $100,000 bail Oct. 23, while Byars posted 10% of $500,000 bail Nov. 8.

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Defendant in $1M embezzlement scheme waives prelim

Police: Woman paid mortgage from dependent's bank account

Maryann Avery (Photo: Polk County Jail/Special to the Register)

A Des Moines woman was arrested early Tuesday morning and charged with theft after stealing more than $24,000 from a person whose money she managed. 

Marryan Avery, 66, served as as the power of attorney for an adult person, according to a criminal complaint. Avery paid for her mortgage and wrote herself more than $24,500 in checks from the victim's bank account over seven months in 2019, though she lacked the authorization to do so, police said. 

Avery faces charges of theft and dependent adult abuse. An attorney was not listed.

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Police: Woman paid mortgage from dependent's bank account

Lincoln-Lemington woman charged with stealing $100K from father with dementia

Tonya Reid

by  Jonathan D. Silver

A Lincoln-Lemington woman raided her incapacitated father’s checking account, stealing more than $100,000 from his Social Security payments, pension and annuities, authorities said.

Tonya Reid, 51, was charged Wednesday with two felony counts of theft, receiving stolen property, access device fraud and misapplication of entrusted property.

She was arrested Thursday by detectives with the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office.

In 2016, Ms. Reid was designated as the legal guardian for her father, Walter Daniels, 71, who has dementia, a criminal complaint said.

But instead of using Mr. Daniels’ money to pay for his room and board at LGAR Health & Rehabilitation Center in Turtle Creek, where he moved in July 2017, Ms. Reid spent $106,543.34 on herself, investigators said.

“Once Mr. Daniels was transferred to LGAR, Ms. Reid stopped paying her father’s bills at his new facility,” the complaint said. “LGAR did not receive any money from Ms. Reid [on] behalf of her father.”

Detectives alleged that the money went to pay for Ms. Reid’s vehicle, bank fees, beauty supplies, cell phones, travel, liquor and tuition at the University of Pittsburgh, among other personal expenses.

Investigators said that Mr. Daniels, because of his dementia, had no need for any such items or services.

Mr. Daniels had two guardianship accounts; both were closed with zero balances. Ms. Reid’s signature, the complaint said, was the only one on the bank signature cards.

Authorities were alerted to problems by a complaint in June 2018 from an employee from Allegheny County’s Area Agency on Aging.

Ms. Reid was appointed by the court in July 2016 to be her father’s guardian, responsible for paying his bills. But she was removed by Orphans’ Court in March 2018 and replaced by Ursuline Senior Services, which discovered that Mr. Daniels’ guardianship account had been depleted, the complaint said.

It wasn’t until this past June that Ms. Reid’s attorney, identified in the complaint as Jonathan Orie, filed an accounting of the guardianship account with the court.

Investigators found that while Ms. Reid was her father’s guardian, there were $133,776.76 in deposits, but withdrawals of $138,486.42, leaving the account with a negative balance of $4,700. That included nearly $32,000 that paid for Mr. Daniels’ accommodations at a different senior center before he was moved to LGAR. The rest of the money, authorities said, went to Ms. Reid.

Mr. Orie could not be reached for comment.

Full Article & Source:
Lincoln-Lemington woman charged with stealing $100K from father with dementia

Boulder County woman set for trial in elderly exploitation case

 By Mitchell Byars

A Boulder County woman accused of exploiting an elderly couple for money is set for trial in October, though her attorneys anticipate she will reach a plea deal before that time.

Christine Grace Sparks-West

Christine Grace Sparks-West, 42, is charged with two counts of theft of $500 or more of an at-risk person and exploitation of an at-risk person. She also is facing counts of violating bond conditions and violating a protection order.

Sparks-West entered a plea of not guilty in Boulder District Court on Friday, but her attorney John Gifford said attorneys were “working toward a disposition” and that there was a good chance the case would be resolved before the trial.

For now, Boulder District Judge Thomas Mulvahill set both the exploitation and the bond violation cases for a two-day trial starting Oct. 7, though Gifford said he would likely file a motion to sever the cases if it did in fact go to trial.

Sparks-West was also set for a motions hearing on Aug. 6.

According to an affidavit, the named victims in the case are a couple who live in unincorporated Boulder County and are both in their 70s.

The man, who has suffered with memory loss and has slight dementia, met Sparks-West about five years ago when they worked together at a store in Boulder and remained friends, according to the affidavit.

Sometime in 2017, the man gave Sparks-West a debit card to buy materials to fix up his home’s basement and create a room that she could sleep in. According to the affidavit, he then became aware of unauthorized purchases on his account, and the bank told him that Sparks-West was buying items through a PayPal account she had set up using the debit card.

The man had authorized Sparks-West to open his PayPal account to order $51 worth of transformers, but from Nov. 17, 2017, through Dec. 21, 2017, the account listed 68 transactions totaling $5,162, according to the affidavit.

Police also said Sparks-West set up a PayPal account for the man’s wife without her knowledge and rang up a total of $963 in charges.

According to the affidavit, Sparks-West, who has an alias of Kristine Sparks-West, is a multi-state offender with a history including burglary, bank fraud, theft and production of false IDs.

Full Article & Source: 
Boulder County woman set for trial in elderly exploitation case

Louisville attorney accused of defrauding clients indicted on theft, forgery charges

A Louisville personal injury attorney accused in multiple lawsuits of stealing money from Hispanic clients has been has been indicted on theft and forgery charges.

The Jefferson County grand jury Thursday accused Andrew Clooney, 51, of settling clients' lawsuits without their consent and pocketing settlement money.

"It is a great development for our clients," said attorney Alex White, who filed suits alleging that Clooney stole more than $160,000 from clients. "We have been screaming to the authorities and the bar and we really needed for the criminal justice wheels to start turning so we can get justice."

The grand jury indicted Clooney on Thursday on seven counts of theft by failure to make required disposition of property over $10,000. 

He also faces nine counts of theft by failure to make required disposition of property over $500 but less than $10,000 and 19 counts of second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument. 

Clooney's wife, 46-year-old Christel Clooney, and employee Marlene Estrada, 57, were also indicted on the charges Thursday. 

Twenty different victims are named in the indictment. 

Prosecutors say the defendants, between July 2015 and August 2018, would forge clients' signatures on settlement agreements and Estrada would notarize them. 

White said last year that Andrew Clooney targeted those with poor English skills so their complaints wouldn’t be believed or would be chalked up to a misunderstanding.

The defendants, who face a maximum of 20 years in prison if they are convicted, are set to appear June 3 in Jefferson Circuit Court for arraignment.

Clooney was suspended from  practice on April 19 for failing to respond to a charge. The Kentucky Bar Association lists him as a former member.

Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Doug Meisel is prosecuting the case.

White said one of his clients has won a default judgment against Clooney and that the other lawsuits will be amended to add Christel Clooney and Estrada as defendants.

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Louisville attorney accused of defrauding clients indicted on theft, forgery charges

Court appointed accountant charged with theft, exploitation

By: Darcy Spears

 

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Accused of stealing from a disabled client because he knew nobody would notice… problem is: someone eventually did. Now the troubled guardianship program 13 Action News has exposed over and over again has a new problem: The arrest of a court-appointed accountant.

Certified Public Accountant Joshua Gottesman is facing nearly 50 criminal charges--all them felonies---including theft and exploitation of a vulnerable person. All of it happened under the not-so-watchful eye of Clark County Family Court.

This all stems from the guardianship case of Garrett Dosch. Garrett and his family received nearly $7 million from a medical malpractice lawsuit due to life-altering injuries he and his twin brother suffered when they were born.

According to the arrest report, Gottesman was appointed by Clark County Family Court in 2005 to manage Garrett's trust account.

But the report states by March, 2017, Gottesman stole more than $190,000 of the disabled man's money.

He has since repaid most of the money, but Gottesman admitted to investigators he took it simply because he could. He said he knew no one was watching and he could get away with it, according to the arrest report.

Authorities say when Gottesman's personal accounts were drained or overdrawn, he took money from Garrett's trust and spent it on things like "dating websites and video games, pet spa care, traveling and eating out."

Court records show Gottesman was only caught because the Guardianship Compliance Officer found he failed to file required accountings for 12 years. The position of the Compliance Officer was created after my years-long investigation uncovered massive corruption and heartbreaking exploitation in Clark County's guardianship system.

Gottesman declined our request for an on-camera interview. His next court date is in May.

Clark County District Court provided the following statement after we asked if the court would hold any of its employees accountable for the problems we've exposed in the guardianship system including the recent charges file against Gottesman:

Judicial officers followed the law when handling guardianship cases. Since issues with the guardianship system came to light, significant statutory changes were passed in the Legislature. A 50 page bill of guardianship changes was passed last year. Additional changes to the guardianship laws are currently being considered by the legislature. The court has also added resources to guardianship cases to ensure the well-being of protected persons. Guardianship cases are now heard exclusively by district court judges, rather than hearing masters. Two district court judges have been assigned to guardianship cases on a full-time basis. Investigators and compliance officers have been hired to follow up and investigate information presented in guardianship cases. Our case management technology has been improved to automate functions and facilitate effective tracking. Counsel is now appointed for each adult protected person. The District Court is working hard to improve the system to protect the most vulnerable in our community.

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Court appointed accountant charged with theft, exploitation

Daughter arrested on charges of exploiting elderly father

CARSON CITY, Nev. (KOLO) - A Douglas County woman has been arrested on one count of theft and one count of exploitation of an older person, both category “B” felonies. The Nevada Attorney General's Office says the alleged crimes were committed between April and December, 2017.

According to the criminal complaint, 62-year-old Vicky Jo Adams was designated as the caregiver of her 93-year-old father, John Lindblade, and his estate. Adams was entrusted with funds for the limited purpose of providing for her father’s care. However, she allegedly subsequently converted more than $250,000 of her father’s funds for her own personal use.

Adams was arrested by the Douglas County Sheriff's Office.

The State of Nevada v. Adams criminal complaint represents the sixth elder exploitation criminally charged by the Office of the Nevada Attorney General, which didn't begin prosecuting such cases until Adam Laxalt took over the office in 2015.

“My office works to ensure that all Nevadans are protected and safe, regardless of their age and living arrangements,” said Laxalt. “And we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those seeking to defraud or exploit our vulnerable elderly population.”

In July 2016, the Nevada Legislature’s Interim Finance Committee unanimously approved Laxalt’s request to combat increasing financial fraud within the State using non-taxpayer settlement funds awarded to his Office. Laxalt’s request included the allocation of more than $400,000 of non-taxpayer settlement funds to the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada to boost their capacity to fight civil guardianship exploitation and abuse. In the 2017 Legislative Session, Laxalt received approval to allocate approximately $250,000 in non-taxpayer settlement funds to Washoe County Legal Services which provides pro-bono legal support to Nevada’s rural counties.

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Daughter arrested on charges of exploiting elderly father

Indianapolis Attorney, Special Needs Trust Fund Trustee Arrested On Lawrence County Theft Warrant

(BEDFORD) - An arrest has been made after the launch of an investigation late last September at the request of the Lawrence County Prosecutor's Office. Indianapolis Attorney Kenneth Shane Service, 43 of Indianapolis was arrested Thursday by Indiana State Police Detectives and charged with theft, a Level 5 felony.

He was transported to the Marion County Jail, where he is waiting to be transported to Lawrence County.

The initial investigation was launched in Lawrence County when PNC Bank filed complaints with the Department of Adult Protective Services and the Prosecutor's Office. Those complaints alleged that Service was acting as a Trust Fund Trustee and that large amounts of fraudulent loss had appeared in Trust Fund bank accounts that were under his management.

The actual owners of the Trust Fund accounts were not aware of the theft until notified by ISP Detective Stacy Brown.

According to a Lawrence Superior I Court probable cause affidavit, Detective Stacy Brown found Service was writing checks payable to himself, using debit cards to withdraw large sums of money and purchasing personal items and services, all without the approval of the Trust Fund Account owners.

Those items included a car, casino trips and major dental surgery and other items.

Detectives believe Service had access to several other Trust Fund accounts throughout Indiana, West Virginia and Florida.

According to Lawyer.com, Service license has been suspended.

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Indianapolis Attorney, Special Needs Trust Fund Trustee Arrested On Lawrence County Theft Warrant