Trusted caregivers accused in elder exploitation case tied to more than $659K, 2 homes - NBC 15

The allegations read like an elder exploitation nightmare: dozens of checks, two iPhones, and two Satsuma homes, all tied to one victim. 

In an NBC 15 exclusive interview, Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch said the investigation began after the victim's daughter noticed unusual activity in her father's financial accounts — a discovery that investigators say uncovered a years-long scheme targeting an elderly Mobile County man. 

"The investigation began November of last year when a family member of the victim came forward with what they saw some inconsistencies in his financial accounts," Burch told NBC 15. "The Sheriff's Office launched an investigation." 

Court records show three people — Nora Powe Hobden, Melissa Lynn Hobden and Michael Lewis Crouch — are facing felony charges tied to allegations they stole checks, property and personal information from Tom Baxter. 

The largest accusation is against Melissa Hobden. Criminal complaints filed in Mobile County District Court allege she took and cashed 35 checks belonging to Baxter, totaling $371,980. She is charged with first-degree financial exploitation of an elderly person and first-degree theft of property connected to those checks. 

But the allegations go beyond checks. 

Investigators also accuse Melissa Hobden of forcing Baxter to sign over two Satsuma properties: one at 13165 Williams Ave., valued in the complaint at $88,000, and another at 5515 Darring St., valued at $105,000. Separate theft charges were filed over each property. 

Mobile County property records reviewed by NBC 15 show the Darring Street property has been in Melissa Hobden's name since 2022. A current property record lists her as the owner of 5515 Darring St. and shows a 2026 appraised value of $160,800. 

NBC 15 also confirmed both Melissa Hobden and Michael Crouch list the Darring Street address in jail booking records — the same address investigators say was taken from Baxter. 

Melissa Hobden is also charged with identity theft. According to investigators, she used Baxter's identifying and banking information to purchase two iPhone 17s under his name and had the phones shipped to her address.

Nora Hobden is accused in separate complaints of unlawfully obtaining and cashing a $46,842 check belonging to Baxter. She is charged with first-degree financial exploitation of an elderly person and first-degree theft of property. 

Crouch is accused of cashing or attempting to cash checks tied to Baxter. One complaint alleges he cashed a $38,042 check. Another alleges he attempted to present a fraudulently obtained check valued at $9,450. He faces charges including first-degree theft, attempted first-degree theft and possession of a forged instrument. 

Taken together, the complaints describe hundreds of thousands of dollars in checks, real estate and other property allegedly taken or targeted. Some of the charges involve the same alleged conduct under different criminal counts, meaning the court filings do not represent a final loss total. 

But in his exclusive interview with NBC 15, Burch said detectives believe they're still uncovering the full scope of the alleged scheme.

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Trusted caregivers accused in elder exploitation case tied to more than $659K, 2 homes - NBC 15 

3 accused in elder exploitation case

By WALA Digital Staff

MOBILE COUNTY, Ala. (WALA) - The Mobile County Sheriff’s Office arrested three people following a months long investigation into the alleged financial exploitation of an elderly Mobile County resident.

A third suspect is being sought.

The investigation began in November 2025 after the victim’s daughter reported concerns that her elderly father had been targeted through fraud, extortion, forgery and theft, according to the sheriff’s office.

Detectives and the agency’s Special Investigations Unit reviewed financial records, executed court-authorized subpoenas, served search warrants for electronic devices and conducted interviews with victims and witnesses. Investigators say three people allegedly worked together between 2019 and 2025 to obtain money, real property and other assets from the victim.

Authorities said about $659,314 in assets — including the estimated value of two properties — was supported by available evidence and included in the criminal charges. Investigators believe the total loss approached $1 million, but said only losses supported by evidence and within legal timeframes were charged.

The Mobile County District Attorney’s Office approved the following felony charges:

Melissa Lynn Hobden: two counts of financial exploitation of the elderly (first degree), three counts of theft of property (first degree), and one count of identity theft.

Michael Lewis Crouch: one count of theft of property (first degree), one count of attempted theft of property (first degree), and two counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument.

Nora Powe Hobden: one count of theft of property (first degree) and one count of financial exploitation of the elderly (first degree).

The sheriff’s office said its Special Operations Unit executed a residential search warrant around 6 a.m. July 15, 2026, at 5515 Darring Street in Satsuma. Deputies took Melissa Hobden and Crouch into custody without incident, authorities said.

During the search, investigators recovered multiple cell phones, a laptop, a notebook believed to contain financial records, mail, handwritten documents, legal paperwork and property deeds containing the victim’s personal identifying information, the sheriff’s office said.

Authorities said Nora Powe Hobden was arrested at a separate location on Middle Road on July 15.

Sheriff Paul Burch said the case underscores the agency’s focus on protecting vulnerable residents. “Financial crimes against our elderly citizens are among the most heartbreaking crimes we investigate because they involve the abuse of trust,” Burch said in a statement.

The investigation remains active and additional charges are possible, the sheriff’s office said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office at (251) 574-8633.

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3 accused in elder exploitation case

Elder Exploitation Case Moves Forward as Defendants Plead Not Guilty

DECORAH — Two Decorah residents charged last fall in connection with the alleged financial exploitation of an elderly individual have both entered pleas of not guilty.

Court records show Christina Gray, 60, and Duane Herman, 55, each filed written arraignments and pleas of not guilty on Dec. 1 to multiple Class B felony charges, including first-degree theft against an older individual, ongoing criminal conduct and financial exploitation of an older individual. Both defendants waived their right to a speedy trial.

According to the Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office, Gray and Herman were arrested Oct. 7 following an investigation into the alleged exploitation of an 85-year-old resident of Aase Haugen nursing home in Decorah. Deputies arrested the pair at a residence on Ridge Road, and both were booked into the Winneshiek County Jail.

The criminal complaint alleges that authorities began investigating possible financial exploitation on May 15, 2024. The victim, who has dementia, was under Gray’s care from August 2021 to May 2023.

Investigators say Gray and a family friend helped the victim open a checking account funded by the sale of Wisconsin property totaling $107,761.36. Despite nearly $99,436 in care costs at Aase Haugen over the following year, the facility received only one payment of $4,842.

The complaint alleges Gray, who had no personal bank account or employment, accessed the victim’s account without authorization, using over $79,000 for personal expenses. Deputies also allege checks were written to others, who cashed them and returned the money to Gray.

Christina Gray’s trial is scheduled for March 11, 2026, while Duane Herman’s trial is scheduled for February 11, 2026. 

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Elder Exploitation Case Moves Forward as Defendants Plead Not Guilty 

Florida man arrested in elder exploitation case

A Tampa, Florida, man has been arrested for elder exploitation for allegedly taking financial advantage of his aunt, a resident at an Alabama assisted living facility, according to the state attorney general's office.

Attorney General Steve Marshall announced the arrest Monday of Mitchell Alton Roddam, 60, for first-degree financial exploitation of an elderly person.

Roddam surrendered at the Jefferson County Correctional facility.

The attorney general's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit presented evidence to a Jefferson County grand jury resulting in an indictment dated Feb. 9 charging Roddam in the case.

Roddam obtained power of attorney over his 94-year-old aunt to handle her affairs when she entered an Irondale assisted living facility in June 2015. He allegedly misappropriated about $85,000 from that point through October 2016.

Attorneys for the facility contacted the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, which initiated an investigation. Financial exploitation of an elderly person in the first degree provides that any person who breaches his or her fiduciary duty under a power of attorney that results in unauthorized appropriations of the person's property is guilty of a Class B felony if the unauthorized appropriations exceed $2,500.

Under the statute, a person is considered "elderly" if he or she is older than 60. A Class B felony carries a possible sentence of two to 20 years in the Alabama Department of Corrections.

The Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit is tasked with investigating and prosecuting providers who file false claims to the Alabama Medicaid Agency. The unit's other major function is to investigate and prosecute allegations of abuse, neglect and financial exploitation of the elderly in skilled nursing and assisted living facilities.

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Florida man arrested in elder exploitation case