Former caregiver charged with identity theft

By Mike LaBella

LONDONDERRY — A New Hampshire woman who worked as a caregiver has been charged with stealing the identities of four elderly people who were in her care.

New Hampshire Attorney General Gordon J. MacDonald said Christina Lariviere, (who also goes by the names Christina Soleil and Christina Melvin), 35, of Bow, was arrested Friday on eight class A felony counts of identity fraud.

The charges allege that between July 10 and Aug. 14, 2019, Lariviere obtained the personal identifying information of four elderly people —ages 100, 97, 92 and 87 — without authorization and with the intent to pose as these individuals. The personal identifying information included social security numbers, state driver’s and non-driver’s identification numbers, and birth dates, according to a press release from MacDonald.

An investigation revealed that Lariviere obtained the personal information while employed as a caregiver at a long-term care facility in Londonderry where the elderly people lived, MacDonald said.

The charges also allege that between July 31, and Dec. 13, 2019, Lariviere, acting with a purpose to defraud, posed as two of these elderly people in order to open credit and financial accounts in their names, according to MacDonald.

The state is seeking an extended-term of imprisonment on all of the charges, alleging that Lariviere, in committing the crimes, intended to take advantage of the elderly people's ages and disabilities that impaired their abilities to manage their own property and financial resources.

Lariviere is expected to be arraigned on the charges in Rockingham County Superior Court this week.
This case was investigated jointly by the Elder Abuse and Financial Exploitation Unit of the Attorney General’s Office and the Londonderry Police Department.

Lariviere was previously arrested on Jan. 30 of this year and charged in the Hillsborough County Superior Court-Southern District, with four class B felony counts of check forgery.

Those charges allege that while working as an in-home caregiver in Pelham in November 2019, Lariviere altered, without authority, personal checks belonging to residents of an elderly housing facility.

Lariviere has since been charged in Hillsborough County Superior Court-Southern District with additional counts of theft by unauthorized taking and attempted theft by unauthorized taking, MacDonald said.

Lariviere also has charges pending in Rockingham County Superior Court for attempted theft by unauthorized taking, theft by unauthorized taking and fraudulent use of a credit card.

Lariviere has also been charged with one class A felony count of identity fraud in the Hillsborough County Superior Court – Northern District.

The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Bryan J. Townsend, II, of the Elder Abuse and Financial Exploitation Unit.

If you or someone you know has been the victim of elder abuse or financial exploitation, please contact your local police department or the Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Elderly and Adult Services at 1-800-949-0470.

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Former caregiver charged with identity theft

Lawyer accused of scamming residents | David Krueger indicted, under suspension by State Bar

An indictment unsealed Thursday in a Texarkana federal court accuses a lawyer of duping clients in Wake Village, Texas, and Miller County, Arkansas, out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.  

 

by Lynn LaRowe
 
TEXARKANA, Texas — An indictment unsealed Thursday in a Texarkana federal court accuses a lawyer of duping clients in Wake Village, Texas, and Miller County, Arkansas, out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The State Bar of Texas website shows David Allan Krueger Jr. is under suspension and ineligible to practice law. The site shows a Frisco, Texas, address for Krueger's law practice and a Colorado address as his permanent residence.

Krueger's indictment alleges that he devised a scheme to defraud three current and/or former clients by convincing them to invest in a misting fan business in 2014 and 2015. The indictment alleges Krueger, who is not licensed to sell securities, told clients in Wake Village that he was setting up a trust for their benefit and that he was investing $400,000 in settlement proceeds on their behalf in the misting fan business.

The alleged victims were allegedly given documents, sent emails and text messages and cajoled into believing they would see big returns on their investments and that their money was safe, the indictment alleges. The government is seeking a judgment of $501,200.

Krueger has been charged with mail fraud. Krueger was indicted Aug. 21 by a federal grand jury in the Texarkana Division of the Eastern District of Texas. Krueger's lawyer, Johannes Massar of Garland, Texas, filed a waiver of arraignment earlier this week in the case indicating Krueger is entering a not guilty plea to the indictment.

The case is currently scheduled for jury selection Jan. 27 before U.S. District Judge Robert Schroeder III. Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Coan is prosecuting.

If convicted of mail fraud, Krueger faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000.

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Lawyer accused of scamming residents | David Krueger indicted, under suspension by State Bar

Fort Myers man arrested for exploiting elderly Palm Beach County couple

A man who was arrested during a suspected hazmat situation was wanted on the east coast for exploiting the elderly.

Police arrested David Del Rio, 35, after raiding his Fort Myers home last Thursday.

As the William and Elizabeth Cabral’s “financial adviser,” they trusted Del Rio with their money, approximately $900,000 worth according to police reports.

Palm Beach County police say Del Rio even signed on as their power of attorney and beneficiary before investigators say he started taking their money.

Then Elizabeth Cabral, 84, was found dead in her Palm Beach County condo.

The money belonging to the Cabral’s was traced back to Del Rio who spent the money on things like a car, cruise and guns.

Neighbors are shocked.

“I’ve literally been to his house,” said his neighbor Tyler Gould. “So it’s really a shock to see that somebody so nice could do something so terrible.”

Police say that from September 2016 to March of this year, Del Rio wrote checks, sometimes $100,000 at a time to himself in the Cabral’s names, even after William Cabral died last year.

Elizabeth Cabral’s neighbor said that she had a lot of people in and out taking care of her.

Then on April 30, Elizabeth was found stabbed to death in her home.

Investigators say Del Rio deposited his last check in her name just six weeks before her death.

Del Rio is not charged in the death of Elizabeth Cabral. He is currently charged for 28 other felonies in Palm Beach County and being held on $28,000 bond in Palm Beach County.

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Fort Myers man arrested for exploiting elderly Palm Beach County couple

Power of attorney accused of bilking elderly couple out of $900K

HIGHLAND BEACH, Fla. — A man who gained the trust of an elderly couple, the wife later found murdered, is accused of exploiting them after nearly $900,000 was withdrawn from their accounts, according to a probable cause affidavit.

William and Elizabeth Cabral retired to Palm Beach County, Florida and were befriended by David Del Rio, 35, of Lehigh Acres, Florida, at the bank where they transferred their funds, the affidavit said.

William Cabral was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and died in April 2017.

Elizabeth Cabral, 85, was killed in her Penthouse Highlands condo on April 30, 2018, deputies said.

While examining her banking records, it was discovered that a large amount of cash had been removed from the Cabral’s accounts between 2014 and 2018, the affidavit said.

Investigators allege Del Rio, while acting under a power of attorney, breached his fiduciary duty by making financial transactions via check in the Cabral’s name into an account under his control.

They say approximately $893,673.08 was withdrawn from William and Elizabeth Cabral’s SunTrust account and their Bank of America account via 16 checks and deposited into an account set up by Del Rio.

The money was used to pay for more than 405 personal transactions including a 2017 Audi A sedan, utility payments, home improvements, firearms, suppressors, firearms equipment and payments to Royal Caribbean Cruise line, the affidavit states.

Del Rio was booked into the Palm Beach County Jail and faces charges of exploitation of the elderly, money laundering, organized scheme to defraud fraudulent use of personal ID and grand theft.

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Power of attorney accused of bilking elderly couple out of $900K

Woman stole $400,000, a Mercedes convertible from elderly men in NYC: DA

Mary Evans faces charges that include second-degree grand larceny, first-degree scheming to defraud and first-degree endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person, according to Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance.

“Companionship came at a high price for the elderly victims in this case,” Vance said in a statement. “The defendant is accused of systematically preying on men three decades older than her and stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in savings from them, which she allegedly used go on shopping sprees at Victoria’s Secret and Macy’s."

“And it didn’t stop with cash," Vance added. Evans is "also accused of tricking one victim into buying her a Mercedes convertible."

Authorities allege Evans met her victims in public places and pretended to know them. She later convinced the men to loan her money, claiming to need it for schooling, and pretending to have been the victim of abuse, prosecutors said.

From her first victim, a 77-year-old retired MTA employee, she took $130,000 and a Mercedes convertible.

From her second, an 81-year-old man who had worked as a musical director at a church, she stole $53,000.

She obtained a marriage license with the third — who was a 73-year-old retired college professor suffering from dementia — prosecutors allege. When she tried to take out $225,000 from the professor’s retirement fund, authorities were alerted to her alleged misdeeds.

Anyone who may have been the victim of this type of fraud or knows someone who may have been, should call the Manhattan DA office’s Elder Abuse Hotline at 212-335-9007.

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Woman stole $400,000, a Mercedes convertible from elderly men in NYC: DA