Livonia Caregiver Accused of Draining Nearly $24K From 86-Year-Old

By Sarah Johnson

A caregiver who spent nearly a year working in the Livonia home of 86-year-old Cynthia Dame was arrested Tuesday afternoon, accused of taking almost $24,000, including through repeated $500 ATM withdrawals and alleged unauthorized credit-card purchases. Dame says she didn’t discover the pattern for months because the mailed bank statements that would have revealed it kept disappearing.

According to ClickOnDetroit, the caregiver had worked for Dame since July 2025 and had earned the trust of Dame’s family over nearly a year before the alleged theft came to light. The caregiver has not been publicly named because she had not yet been formally charged as of Tuesday, though police said charges could come as early as Wednesday.

Dame told the outlet the caregiver took her ATM card from her wallet and withdrew money without her knowledge, and that she also believes the caregiver used her credit card for groceries and other unauthorized purchases. Dame’s family says they eventually uncovered a long string of daily $500 withdrawals, and they believe the scheme escalated over the past six months before it was caught.

A Pattern Hiding in Plain Sight

The caregiver, according to Dame, handled everyday tasks that built deep trust within the household — shopping, cooking, laundry, yard work, and even caring for Dame’s animals. That access is part of what made the alleged theft so painful for the family to process, and it illustrates a broader gap in Michigan’s oversight of home care: the state does not require licensing for non-medical home care agencies or private caregiving arrangements, according to Vitable Health, leaving families to rely on their own vetting rather than state oversight.

That regulatory reality contrasts with rules for licensed health facilities and home health agencies, which under Michigan law must run fingerprint-based state and FBI background checks on employees who have direct access to patients’ financial information and property, per the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. Private, independently hired caregivers like the one accused in Dame’s case generally fall outside that screening requirement.

Police Vow Full Investigation

Eric Marcotte said the caregiver was arrested early Tuesday afternoon and that police would investigate the alleged crimes fully, describing the conduct as exploitation of elderly people. Dame’s family has said they believe the total stolen reached nearly $24,000.

The case also drew comment from Dame’s daughter, Constance Wisniewski, who said she interviewed the caregiver after a referral from a previous client for work in her mother’s home. Wisniewski said she had given the caregiver roughly $4,000 as a gift along with an extra $100 every week on top of her regular salary. Wisniewski said her sister discovered the unauthorized withdrawals while reviewing their linked bank accounts, and that the caregiver admitted to taking the money and said she would put it back.

A Longtime Home-Care Provider Reacts

Connie Kincer, who now provides care for Dame and owns Compassionate Heart Home Healthcare, has worked in the home-care industry for 34 years. She described the alleged theft as extremely cruel and said she hopes the former caregiver is not doing this to another family.

Cases like this one sit within a much larger statewide problem. Michigan’s Adult Protective Services received 57,504 referrals alleging abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation of vulnerable adults in Fiscal Year 2024, investigating 21,137 of those cases and substantiating 41 percent, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. State officials have estimated that more than 73,000 older Michigan adults experience abuse or exploitation annually, a concern serious enough that Attorney General Dana Nessel established a dedicated Elder Abuse Task Force in 2019 comprising more than 55 public and private organizations.

The scale of the problem isn’t limited to Michigan. A Financial Crimes Enforcement Network analysis found that financial institutions nationwide submitted reports involving roughly $27 billion in suspicious activity tied to elder financial exploitation between 2022 and 2023. In Livonia specifically, the stakes are especially high: residents 65 and older made up 21.5 percent of the city’s 95,535 total population as of the 2020 Census, according to the City of Livonia, one of the higher senior concentrations among major Wayne County municipalities.

What Charges Could Look Like 

Under Michigan Penal Code MCL 750.174a, obtaining or using a vulnerable adult’s money or property valued between $20,000 and $50,000 through fraud, deceit, or unjust enrichment is a felony carrying up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to $15,000 or three times the amount stolen. Dame’s family believes the alleged theft escalated over the past six months. Separately, MCL 750.159i carries a maximum 20-year penalty.

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Livonia Caregiver Accused of Draining Nearly $24K From 86-Year-Old

Jury finds Moraima Montano guilty of fraud, forgery, and exploitation of elderly

Prosecutors accused Moraima Montano of forged checks, unauthorized transactions, collecting payments after a patient died, and even stealing a piano from a client.

Author: Bill Eaves, Sam Huerta, Preston West 

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A jury has found Moraima Montano guilty.

Montano was charged with financial abuse of an elderly person involving between $30,000 and $150,000, a second degree felony; theft of property valued at $300,000 or more, a first degree felony; five counts of exploitation of a child, elderly person or disabled person, each a third degree felony; and burglary of a habitation, a second degree felony.

According to 3NEWS Chief Photographer Preston West, one of her victims was brought into court in wheelchair. He testified to the deplorable conditions he lived in while living at a couple of Montano’s facilities, describing it as "rat infested". Another woman testified Montano defrauded her late husband and took 65,000 from him, claiming it was for funeral expenses.

One of  the witnesses testified that, up until a week ago, the defendant was using a handicap placard belonging to an in-law that passed away back in 2022. He said he took pictures of her vehicle parked in handicapped parking at the Nueces County Courthouse last week, as she was a defendant in this trial. She got out of the vehicle in high heels and has no notable handicaps, he said, adding that he was surprised she was still using the illegal placard. The defense didn’t ask any follow up questions.

On Tuesday, the nephew of a patient who died in 2025 took the stand and described the moment he realized someone was trying to discharge his aunt from Alameda Oaks Nursing Home and move her into Montano’s privately owned facility.

That’s when he took a tour of it.

“It took me about two minutes to realize it was not a good place," he said. "It was dark, gloomy. The room she was supposed to be in, there was a tenant there. I remember feeling anxiety and fear for my aunt Kim."

He also testified that funds had noticeably been taken from his aunt’s trust fund and Social Security account.

Montano was the last to take the stand on Thursday, where her lawyer Mark Gonzalez asked her why she believes the jury should consider a shorter sentence than a longer sentence for her crimes.

“What I would say is that if I caused any harm in any way or any form, I’m sorry," Montano said. "I never had bad intentions. I tried my best, and I got overwhelmed because I was also trying to help people who didn’t have any money. I didn’t want to leave people out in the streets. It didn’t happen that way.”

During her statement, she mentioned that the trial had derailed a potential singing career.

“I never told the judge. I’m a rising star. When this happened to me, I was going to record an album.”

Montano’s husband, Manuel Lozano, was called to the stand Wednesday before the jury began deliberations.

Prosecutor Lesleigh Morton, an assistant attorney general assigned to the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, questioned Lozano about patients under Montano’s care who were affected by her actions.

Morton also challenged how much Lozano knew, pointing out that he spent much of that time working and living outside Corpus Christi.

“The defendant was the one running the homes," she said. "You are not the one on trial here. I want the truth to be said, and that is why we have the evidence. I have the jury here, and they have heard everything. We just need to get through this so we can make a decision.”

Last week Morton questioned the chief financial officer of CHRISTUS Spohn and an employee who works in physician integration and accreditation compliance.

Montano’s attorney, Mark Gonzalez, questioned the witnesses about statements involving Unique Living LLC, a group home business connected to Montano.

During questioning, CHRISTUS Spohn Chief Financial Officer Becky Rios disputed how her testimony was characterized.

“I did not say ‘defrauded me.’ You are putting words in my mouth,” Rios said. “I said payments to her totaled $236,000 and change.”

Witness testimony also focused on text messages involving a patient who had died. Prosecutors allege Montano continued collecting checks connected to the patient after the person’s death.

Roxanne Jenkins, who works in physician integration and accreditation compliance at CHRISTUS Health, questioned a draft for more than $4,000 connected to the deceased patient.

“What is the point of the draft in the amount of $4,000-something for a deceased individual?” Jenkins said. “That should not have occurred.”

Previous investigation reports detailed allegations of forged checks and unauthorized debit card transactions. Montano was accused of using clients’ money for purchases they did not authorize and allegedly stole a piano and other items from her victims. 

Punishments are being decided right now. 3NEWS will provide updates as more information becomes available. 

Full Article & Source:
Jury finds Moraima Montano guilty of fraud, forgery, and exploitation of elderly 

Florida caregiver accused of using $79K of elderly victim’s funds for trips, shopping

by Grace Bellinghausen

A West Palm Beach caregiver was arrested Friday after investigators say she quietly drained more than $79,000 from an elderly woman she was hired to help. (Palm Beach County Jail, Getty Images)

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — A West Palm Beach caregiver was arrested Friday after investigators say she quietly drained more than $79,000 from an elderly woman she was hired to help.

Investigators with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office say 27-year-old Marta Cisneros exploited the 79-year-old woman she was caring for, stealing nearly $80,000 between July 2024 and June 2025. Deputies say Cisneros was hired to help with daily living activities, including personal care and transportation, and through that role gained access to the elderly victim's financial records, bank accounts, credit cards, and mail.

The investigation began in June of 2025 when the victim reported unauthorized transactions on her account to PBSO. Investigators say the victim, who typically paid bills by check, discovered repeated ATM withdrawals and credit card charges she did not recognize and insisted she never used a debit card or made ATM transactions.

When deputies met with the victim, they found that many financial records and statements were missing during the time Cisneros was employed by her.

According to investigators, American Express had previously flagged suspicious charges and issued a replacement card, but because Cisneros handled the victim's mail, she would have had access to the new card without her knowledge.

Records revealed $79,041 in fraudulent transactions, including nearly 50 ATM withdrawals—totalling over $30,000 — made over the course of Cisneros' employment. Surveillance video and witnesses later corroborated that Cisneros was behind the suspicious activity.

Among the purchases and charges flagged as fraudulent were:

• Repeated gift card purchases, including $750 at Starbucks
• Hundreds of dollars in food delivery services
• A Los Tigres del Norte concert at the Hard Rock Casino
• A Rapids Water Park cabana rental
• Airline tickets
• A variety of clothing, shoes, and perfume purchases
• Traffic ticket fines
• Car payments

Detectives say they also uncovered dozens of questionable checks, many written directly to Cisneros or cashed by her, along with others linked to her family members.

During a phone interview in December 2025, Cisneros denied the allegations and claimed she only used the victim's credit card with her permission. She also claimed that the victim had memory issues; however, a review of records revealed that the victim did not have any ongoing problems with memory.

Due to the evidence, deputies found probable cause to book Cisneros for counts of exploiting the elderly $10K to $50K, and using a false identity.

Full Article & Source:
Florida caregiver accused of using $79K of elderly victim’s funds for trips, shopping  

UPDATE: Enid woman convicted of exploitation of elderly and computer fraud

NEWKIRK — Jones appeared in Kay County District Court on Aug. 30, 2024 and entered no contest pleas to the charges. She was sentenced to a 10-year suspended prison sentence and ordered to pay $51,877.94 in restitution. The case was filed on June 26, 2024.

Warrant issued for woman accused of exploiting elderly woman out of nearly $52,000

NEWKIRK — A warrant is issued for Tammy Dene Jones, 51, Enid, by the Kay County District Court.

Jones is facing felony counts of exploitation of elderly and or disabled adult by deception and intimidation and computer fraud and or unlawful use of a computer system. Ponca City police report that Jones is accused of fraudulently obtaining $51,877.94 from a senior citizen.

The alleged victim and her daughter contacted law enforcement on June 14 and told police that she hired Jones to assist her around the house with chores such as lawn work. She said that she paid Jones $15 an hour and that sometimes she would give Jones her bank card to pick up some stuff at Walmart.

The woman told police that she noticed bank transactions that she didn’t make and that her Discover Card was maxed out.

Tammy Dene Jones

The alleged victim told police that it appears Jones was using her credit card at ATMs and that she never gave her permission to do so.

The woman told police she also had a ring valued at $300 disappear.

She told police that she contacted Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation agent Chad Van Hoesen and asked if he would come over to her house when she confronted Jones. Van Hoesen agreed and told police that he recorded Jones’ confession.

The recording was given to Det. Sgt. Cory Vincent.

Vincent reports that Jones states on the tape that she did it to help her parents and that she thought she could pay it back.

Jones reportedly said that she didn’t want her kids to know because she feels stupid. She reportedly admitted to taking the alleged victim’s phone and using her CashApp to send money to her account. Jones reportedly denied using the woman’s debit card and said she doesn’t remember making a transaction at Marshall’s.

Police report that the alleged victim’s Equity Bank Account balance dropped from $33,376.88 to $854.10 over a span of 16 months.

The transactions police reportedly found include a $6,610.74 transaction to PayPal; $800.99 obtained at Osage Casino; $4,980 in ATM transactions and $9,150 from Cash App to Jones.

Police report that a second bank account balance dropped from $10,376.93 to $1.88. Fraudulent transactions on that account were reportedly made to Venmo, various people, Osage Casino and ATM withdrawals.

Police report that there were also fraudulent charges made on the woman’s Discover Card at Atwoods.

Vincent reports that he called Jones and asked her about the situation. Jones reportedly said that she made a mistake.

“I should not have done it, but I wasn’t getting paid,” Jones reportedly said.

Jones said that she had owned up to the alleged victim and that she had made arrangements to pay her back. Jones reportedly admitted to taking at least $2,000 for herself at the ATM. She reportedly told police that she didn’t get paid for four months and that she thought the situation was worked out.

Prosecutors filed the charges on June 26. A warrant with $50,000 bond is issued. Anyone with information on Jones’ location is asked to call law enforcement.

Full Article & Source:
UPDATE: Enid woman convicted of exploitation of elderly and computer fraud

Two arrested for exploitation of elderly Columbia man, stealing thousands

By WDAM Staff

COLUMBIA, Miss. (WDAM) - Two people are behind bars after exploiting an elderly man out of more than $6,000 in Columbia, MS.

The Columbia Police Department said its Major Crimes Bureau opened an investigation on May 21, 2024, after they received a complaint about missing funds from the 82-year-old victim’s banking account. Detective David Thompson headed the investigation.

During the investigation, Thompson said he discovered a series of checks made out to individuals identified as Joseph Elwood Duncan and Crystal Lynn Buckley. He explained that these checks were written for various amounts over a one-month period, and further investigation showed a pattern of financial exploitation.

The police said Duncan and Buckly had deceived a vulnerable adult, which resulted in the loss of more than $6,000 within a few weeks.

Columbia police arrested Duncan and Buckley on charges related to financial exploitation and fraud against the elderly.

Thompson said this is an ongoing investigation, and the accused may face additional charges at a later date.

Anyone with information related to this case or other instances of financial exploitation is encouraged to contact the Columbia Police Department at 601-736-8225.

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Two arrested for exploitation of elderly Columbia man, stealing thousands

Home health care worker stole elderly Miami-Dade client's condo: Prosecutors

Dahamara Cuervo Alonso, 48, was arrested Tuesday on charges of grand theft over $100,000, exploitation of elderly and organized scheme to defraud over $50,000

By NBC6

A home health care worker was arrested after prosecutors said she exploited an elderly client, transferring ownership of the Miami-Dade condo where the 86-year-old woman lives with her disabled son.

Dahamara Cuervo Alonso, 48, was arrested Tuesday on charges of grand theft over $100,000, exploitation of elderly and organized scheme to defraud over $50,000.

Miami-Dade Corrections

Dahamara Cuervo Alonso

According to the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office, Cuervo Alonso was brought in as a home health care aide to assist the two victims, including the mother who suffers from advanced cognitive issues and her 51-year-old disabled son who suffers with a number of medical and physical issues which substantially limit his mobility.

Cuervo Alonso would routinely request the clients to sign documents to verify the hours she worked, which is a common practice in the home health care industry.

The documents were always in English but the only language the mother and son could read or speak was Spanish.

The son said Cuervo Alonso told him and his mother to sign the documents so that she could "get paid" for her services, but neither one read the documents, prosecutors said.

In August of 2023, the son said he saw a YouTube video of a story about a fraudulent quit claim deed completed on a property without the knowledge of the property owner.

After seeing the video, he looked up the condo's property information online and discovered that it was now in Cuervo Alonso’s name, prosecutors said.

He notified authorities who found the fraudulent quit claim deed that was prepared by Cuervo Alonso and was written in English.

Investigators said Cuervo Alonso had been assigned to the victims for less than a year and had no relationship with them besides the health care services she provided.

"Cuervo Alonso took advantage of her position as victim’s trusted caregiver to unlawfully trick the victims into signing a document which they did not understand," the state attorney's office said in a news release.

Cuervo Alonso, of Miami Gardens, was arrested by the state attorney's office Elderly and Vulnerable Adult Unit.

"This fraudulent property transfer of an 86-year-old woman’s condo was not just the theft of her home, but also the theft of the home of her 51-year-old disabled son who resided with her," Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said in a statement. "It is a sad comment when owning your home, free and clear, does not provide for your future financial security but instead makes you a target for an alleged thief. Cases like this are the reason my Elder and Vulnerable Adult Unit was created. As I have said before, in this community, we will not tolerate the victimization of our elder and vulnerable residents. Far too many of our residents are vulnerable to such exploitation."

Jail records showed Cuervo Alonso was being held on a $45,000 bond. Attorney information wasn't available.

Full Article & Source:
Home health care worker stole elderly Miami-Dade client's condo: Prosecutors

Nurse, Valencia teacher in Central Florida accused of neglecting elderly mother

by Greg Fox

 

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — Rebecca Lassiter, 70, is facing a felony charge for mistreatment of her mother, who is in her 90s.

Lassiter was formally charged by the state attorney after her arrest in November. Records show that she was previously the "court appointed guardian" for her mother.

When she was arrested a few weeks ago, Lassiter was a nursing school teacher at Valencia College.

According to licensing records with the Florida Department of Health, Lassiter is a registered nurse with an active license.

She's charged with felony neglect of an elderly or disabled adult as recently as September 2018, according to court records obtained by WESH 2 Investigates.

She allegedly wasn't providing her medications and an officer described the victim as "weak and feeble."

Those records also show St. Cloud Police previously recommended charges in 2019 of theft from a victim 65 and older, and exploitation of the elderly.

Police found withdrawals by Lassiter from her mother's bank account totaling more than $24,000, but Lassiter was not charged until now.

According to a Valencia spokeswoman, Lassiter was a part-time teacher in the nursing school. She resigned Dec. 3 but mentioned nothing of her arrest.

In an email to a supervisor, she wrote: "I am resigning from Valencia immediately due to personal and health reasons."

The fact that she never mentioned the arrest is a violation of campus policy.

Lassiter is set to be tried next month and referred all questions to her attorney.

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Nurse, Valencia teacher in Central Florida accused of neglecting elderly mother

Man charged with fraud, exploitation, banned from doing business in state

by BISMARCK TRIBUNE STAFF

A man facing criminal charges in McLean County of construction fraud and elderly exploitation has been ordered to stop doing business in North Dakota.

Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem has issued a cease-and-desist order banning George Williamson Stewart. The state says Stewart, who uses addresses in Minot and Mesa, Arizona, does not have a contractor's license and has violated the state’s consumer fraud and contractor licensing laws.

Stewart, who does business as Stewart Home Improvements, is charged in McLean County with felony construction fraud and seven felony counts of exploiting adults in the age range of 72-87. He also faces misdemeanor counts of not having a contractor's license or a transient merchant's license. The fraud charge carries a maximum punishment of 10 years in prison; the other felonies a maximum of five years apiece.

Stewart is accused of soliciting advance payments from elderly people in North Dakota to treat their roofs with sealant, and then using a different product than advertised.

"Stewart’s claims about the product he was hawking and the duration of the supposed protection varied depending on the amount of advance payment he was able to take from the victim," the Attorney General's Office said in a statement.

Court documents indicate Stewart allegedly defrauded people out of as much as $50,000 in total. Investigators allege he has run similar scams in other states, Canada and New Zealand.

Stewart was charged Wednesday, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Court documents do not list an attorney for him, and a telephone listing for his company couldn't immediately be found. 

Separately, Stenehjem issued a cease-and-desist order banning John Moser III, of Minot, from conducting further business in the state. Moser does business as J3 Construction.

The attorney general's Consumer Protection division has obtained civil judgments against Moser banning him from engaging in contracting work or obtaining a contractor’s license, but defrauded consumers remain unpaid, according to Stenehejem. Court documents don't list an attorney for Moser.

Full Article & Source:

Man charged with fraud, exploitation, banned from doing business in state

We Need to Have a Frank National Conversation About Guardianship Abuse

Source: AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias

by Dr. Nan Hayworth

We like to think that judges are impartial arbiters of justice and that medical professionals--as a physician myself, I know this should always be true--only have the best interests of their patients at heart. Unfortunately, as a growing number of elderly Americans and their families are discovering, that isn’t always the case.

Conservatorship abuse has been a largely silent problem for decades, but the recent documentary about Britney Spears’s problems has given it a higher profile. Unlike Ms. Spears, who has legions of fans eager to speak in her behalf, most victims of conservatorship abuse can only rely on the advocacy of friends and family. Even if victims have ample financial resources, that’s frequently not enough to overcome the combined authority of the government and medical “experts” and lawyers hired by conservators.

Previously vibrant, capable individuals can be reduced to shells of their former selves under the strain of court-imposed guardianship, dying without the ability to manage their own estates or even to see their loved ones in their final days. Rachel Aviv, writing in the New Yorker in 2017, described harrowing and infuriating instances of courts in Nevada facilitating the machinations of a burgeoning guardianship industry draining the resources of vulnerable seniors--while, hideously, evading and thwarting the efforts of their loved ones to rescue them.

Significant wealth is no bulwark against conservatorship abuse; indeed, it may serve as a temptation. A disturbing recent case in Alabama illustrates this vividly.

In January of this year Joann Bashinsky, the widow of the founder of Golden Flake Foods and so beloved in Alabama that she was known as “Mama B,” died of a heart attack in the midst of an all-consuming battle to regain and retain control of her assets after two employees who had worked with her and her husband for decades weaponized the courts against her.

The employees were a lawyer and a finance manager who refused to comply for over a year with Mrs. Bashinsky’s requests regarding the management of her funds and unilaterally adding themselves into her will, after which she terminated them. Contacting her investment firm directly after the termination, Mrs. Bashinsky learned that the employees had informed the firm--without having warned her of a contention she would have challenged immediately--that she suffered from dementia.

On the day they were dismissed, the lawyer and finance manager successfully introduced an emergency petition to have a court-appointed guardian take charge of Mrs. Bashinsky’s affairs. They produced documentation from a doctor, who had had one limited encounter with “Mama B,”  alleging that she suffered from dementia. 

Mrs. Bashinsky, who’d had no prior notice of the petition, had to find new legal representation--the court forbade her the counsel of the attorneys who were familiar to her-- and obtain documentation from her own doctor, as well as from psychiatric professionals expert in gerontology who interviewed her, that she was mentally competent.

After many months of proceedings, Mrs. Bashinsky won her appeal to the Alabama Supreme Court to overturn the emergency guardianship order. 

Unfortunately, the lower courts continued to pursue efforts to appoint a permanent guardian, necessitating that “Mama B,” whose generosity to charity and to her beloved home state of Alabama was legendary, spend what turned out to be her final months fighting for her legal rights instead of savoring the blessings of a life well led.

There’s simply no moral, ethical, or medical justification for treating people this way. 

It’s all too regrettably easy to surmise that greed played a role in the harm inflicted on Mrs. Bashinsky. Her estate is worth hundreds of millions of dollars, and the employees who initiated the guardianship and alleged wrongly that she had dementia were among its beneficiaries. 

Once the effort to have a court appoint a guardian succeeds, these guardians may be able to exercise complete control over their wards’ finances, typically collecting substantial fees in the process, and in many cases survivors are forced to fight protracted legal battles just to retain what remains of their loved ones’ estates.

Conservatorship law varies from state to state, but, clearly, we need to have a frank, national discussion about conservatorship abuse. The heartless exploitation of elderly Americans cannot be something that is tolerated or overlooked--especially not in a country that purports to respect the rights of individuals and to guarantee equality under the law.

Full Article & Source:

We Need to Have a Frank National Conversation About Guardianship Abuse

Unprotected: Botox, breast, butt implants allegedly bought with cash from elderly victims

By: Ron Regan

CLEVELAND — A portion of the hundreds of thousands of dollars allegedly exploited from an 89-year-old Parma Heights man was used to purchase botox injections, breast implants and butt implants by the woman he trusted.

Details of the alleged scheme were revealed during testimony in a Cuyahoga County courtroom where 38-year-old Latasha Wisniewski is on trial on charges she orchestrated an elaborate plan to befriend the recently widowed victim and ultimately fleece him of his life savings.

Wisniewski has pleaded not guilty to the charges and insists the couple had a romantic relationship that included her moving in with the victim and taking care of him in the months before he died of cancer.

Parma Heights police investigated when the man's family complained.

The testimony came from Wisniewski's aunt, 39-year-old Lisa Dotson, who pleaded guilty earlier Monday in the same courtroom to similar charges in a separate case involving multiple elderly victims.


Dotson faces two to four years in prison and restitution totaling $200,000.

But Assistant Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Brent Kirvel says both Dotson and Wisniewski collaborated at one point to siphon off hundreds of thousands of dollars from the 89-year-old victim. That money was allegedly used to purchase plastic surgery, an SUV, gift cards and more.

In testimony Monday, Dotson also explained how she would earn a 50% "kickback" from checks she helped cash on the victim's account.

The case follows an exclusive 5 On Your Side investigation--"Unprotected"--detailing the growing crime of elderly financial exploitation and the lack of resources to investigate and prosecute.

Last year, as many as 3,000 elderly people across Ohio filed complaints that left the vast majority unprotected from financial exploitation.

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Unprotected: Botox, breast, butt implants allegedly bought with cash from elderly victims

Jury pool shrinks for attempted murder trial of former Sarasota deputy

SARASOTA — The pool of around 140 potential jurors who were interviewed Monday in the trial of a former Sarasota County Sheriff’s deputy charged with attempted murder, was reduced to around 65 who will return Tuesday for a final round of questions.

Jury selection was the beginning of the trial for Frank Bybee, 46, who is facing 18 felonies, including attempted murder, exploitation of the elderly, burglary, theft and kidnapping. He faces a life sentence if he is convicted of the first-degree felony charge for attempted murder.

His trial was postponed for 20 days after his attorney withdrew and a former Manatee County judge, John Lakin, joined the defense team causing a conflict of interest with 12th Judicial Circuit Court Judge Thomas Krug. Lakin is currently under investigation by the Florida Bar for actions taken while he was on the bench.

Krug recused himself from the case and Chief Judge Charles E. Williams asked the Florida Supreme Court to appoint a judge from outside of Sarasota County. Judge Donald H. Mason of Charlotte County was assigned to the case that was original scheduled to begin Sept. 5.

Assistant State Attorneys Karen Fraivillig and Art Jackman, and defense attorneys John Lakin and Ronald Kurpiers, must now choose 12 jurors and two alternates to sit on the jury.

The trial will likely begin Wednesday and is expected to last for two weeks.

Prospective jurors were questioned in two different sessions Monday, with attorneys deciding after each session whether hardships and established opinions produced by jurors were enough to strike them from the roster.

Many jurors raised their hands when asked if they had read or watched coverage of the Bybee case. Some said they already had preconceived notions of guilt and could not be impartial.

Among the reasons jurors gave for being unable to render a fair verdict were being caretakers themselves for disabled relatives, “personal feelings,” and one said a family member was convicted of murder and died in his jail cell. The statements came after jurors were informed that the case could take up to two weeks. Some expressed worries over financial hardships.

“I just could not do it,” said the female juror whose family member died in jail.

Another female juror said she decided she could not be fair after hearing the charges in the case, which involves an elderly woman.

A male juror said he is retired and takes care of his mother.

“I bathe her, toileted her, and fed her,” the male juror said. “You don’t want me on that trial.”

A juror in the afternoon session said she lost a lot of work during Hurricane Irma and is responsible for watching her grandchild.

The hurricane hardship excuse was the most common reasoning for many jurors, besides vacations, seeking to be exempt from the trial. Judge Donald H. Mason of Charlotte County said that nearly every juror present will suffer a financial inconvenience. He said it jury duty was part of living in America.

The attorneys released most of the jurors who cited hardships.

Several jurors felt they could be fair, but made the judge aware of possible issues that could arise during the trial.

“I wanted to let you know that my husband is a police officer,” a female juror said.

Two additional jurors just wanted the court to know they worked with the elderly, but felt “presumption of innocence” was not a problem.

Judge Mason and Fraivillig told the panel to be blunt with their answers.

Fraivillig asked the potential jurists if they would participate in the selection process. When they did not reply, she asked again, sparking a “yes” response.

“The most important thing for you to do is be candid with us,” Fraivillig said. “We are looking for jurors that have no preconceived notions or biases. We need you to be a blank slate.”

Two jurors said they had family members in law enforcement — one said they could be fair, the other said they might be tempted to side with a law enforcement officer.

A female juror said her uncle is a sheriff’s deputy being called as a witness. She said even if he was a plumber, she would trust her relative’s opinion.

Long after the potential jurors were asked if they had conflicts, two men said that they might have issues with “the system.”

“I have had dealings with State Attorney and sometimes I see how things go,” a male juror said. “Sometimes I agree and sometimes I don’t agree — because I am exposed to it, I’m probably not the best person.”

Both sides agreed to strike one female juror who told the court, “If I’m not getting paid, I will have an attitude.”

A male juror in the afternoon session asked whether he could make a fair judgement based on the charges he heard in the case said, “No, I can’t. I personally feel this guy is a low life.”

Another female juror says she works at the Sheriff’s Office and has been subjected to “negative opinions” about Bybee.

A male juror who said he was had to attend a paramedics test to become a firefighter was also excused. He received soft applause from the crowd when Judge Mason released him.

Bybee, an 18-year employee of the Sheriff’s Office, was arrested Jan. 23 after a 79-year-old woman called the Sheriff’s Office for help on Oct. 21.

Bybee, a patrol deputy, was sent to the call and took the woman to Sarasota Memorial Hospital, where the former deputy prayed with her before he left, according to an investigation.

About two months later, the woman reported that Bybee had inserted himself into her personal life and had become too controlling. She asked the Sheriff’s Office for help in severing the relationship with the deputy.

Bybee was placed on administrative leave Jan. 9 and three days later, according to court documents, he went back to elderly woman’s home and attempted to kill her.

The Sheriff’s Office terminated his employment on Jan. 31 after enough information was discovered through an internal affairs investigation to sustain allegations of conduct unbecoming and conformance with laws, on top of criminal charges.

Bybee has been in custody at the Sarasota County Jail on a $380,120 bail.

Jury selection is expected to last until at least Tuesday.

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Jury pool shrinks for attempted murder trial of former Sarasota deputy

Casper Woman Sentenced to the Wyo Women's Center for Exploitation

Tamara Voelker

A Casper woman was sentenced to serve 30 to 96 months in the Wyoming Women's Center after pleading guilty to taking more than forty thousand dollars from a an elderly man.

Tamara Voelker exploited of an 89-year-old man while acting as his caretaker.

The man's daughter-in-law first contacted Casper Police after he told her he didn't have any money and needed help paying his bills.

Reports show Volker made purchases to Amazon, Best Buy as well as a TV Jewelry store.

Attorney Mike Blonigen said in court as he presented his sentence recommendation, “'Voelker acted like a vulture, coming in to pick the bones of the victim she was supposed to be caring for.”

She is to pay back the forty thousand dollars to the victim upon her release from custody.

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Casper Woman Sentenced to the Wyo Women's Center for Exploitation

Two arrested in Volusia elderly exploitation case, third sought

"They are the epitome of what a scumbag is, to go after your grandparents," Sheriff Mike Chitwood said.

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Investigators in Volusia County are have arrested two of three people, including the granddaughter of a victim, in connection to an elderly exploitation case.

Candyce Nesheim said thieves broke into her Gardenia Avenue home and ransacked the place while she was away in July.

Nesheim said the thieves cut a screen, shattered a window and stole a television, tools, money and precious heirlooms.

Deputies with the Volusia County Sheriff's Office said surveillance images from a local pawn shop showed Matthew Hall with some of the stolen items but said Albert Blackburn was the actual thief.

The pair were living next door to the burglary victim at the home of an elderly couple.

Deputies said they'd been invited in by the couples' granddaughter, Mary Hall.

"They are the epitome of what a scumbag is, to go after your grandparents," Sheriff Mike Chitwood said.

Chitwood said police found out the three were exploiting the seniors, getting money from the couple through threats and intimidation.

"To basically eviscerate these folks in their golden years, to destroy their money and their sense of security," Chitwood said.

Sheriff's Office investigators said the elderly couple lived in such fear of their granddaughter and the two men she allegedly brought into their home, they lost significant weight, their health deteriorated and they are now in an assisted living facility.

Investigators said the suspects have since disappeared after Mary Hall allegedly stole her grandparents' car, but they've spotted her out of state on social media.

"Now she's set up a GoFundMe account claiming she needs money to get to Florida to take care of her elderly grandparents," Chitwood said.

Investigators said the only people the suspects were helping were themselves.

Albert Blackburn and Maria Hall have been arrested in North Carolina.

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Two arrested in Volusia elderly exploitation case, third sought

Trial ordered for defendant in exploitation of elderly

A rural Carthage man has been ordered to stand trial on charges that he defrauded two elderly victims in separate home improvement scams.

Leroy E. Stark III, 27, waived a preliminary hearing Thursday in Jasper County Circuit Court on one count of financial exploitation of an elderly person and was ordered bound over for trial following a preliminary hearing on a second count of the same offense.

Associate Judge Joe Hensley set July 24 for Stark's initial appearances on the charges in a trial division of the court.

Probable-cause affidavits allege that Stark got a 78-year-old man to pay him $900 on July 13, 2016, to paint the roof and one side of his barn. Stark purportedly climbed onto the roof and sprayed a black substance believed to be some sort of sealant, climbed back down and told the victim he had to go get some ladders to finish the job but never returned.

The second count pertains to the swindling of an elderly woman Sept. 12 of last year on a home improvements job involving some trimming of trees and removal of gutter guards for which he was paid $715. An affidavit alleges that he trimmed a few limbs but did not haul them away and did not finish the work on the gutter guards as promised.

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Trial ordered for defendant in exploitation of elderly

Sussex fraud victim speaks out ahead of summit to tackle exploitation of elderly

A victim of fraud from Sussex has spoken out about her experience ahead of the first crime summit to tackle the ‘epidemic of elder exploitation’.

Jean Holmwood, 67, from Heathfield, fell victim to an online fraud in 2013.

She said of her experience: “I felt pathetic.

“I like to think of myself as being quite on top of things, especially when it comes to computers and the internet, and that’s where I went down. “I was quite disgusted at myself, embarrassed.

“It was only a small amount, it might not have been much for some people but it was a lot for me not having much money in the world.

“It’s just degrading, it’s an insult to your intelligence and you feel so stupid.

“I don’t mind telling people about what happened to me because I’m hoping it will help others, but at the same time most people wouldn’t want to tell anybody because they just feel silly.”

She is now part of the Sussex Elders’ Commission, a group set up in 2015 for older residents to support, challenge and inform the work of the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner, Katy Bourne, 
The commission has been working with Sussex Police to find out more about the scale of the problem.

Rob Mills, 76, from Westmeston, who is also a member of the gorup, warned of the potentially ‘life-ending’ effect of fraud.

“It can be devastating. The cases that we have heard of recently involve massive financial loss,” he said.

“Somebody who is elderly, their resources have run out... what do they do?

“The money is gone, their house is gone: it could be life-ending.”  (Click to Continue)

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Sussex fraud victim speaks out ahead of summit to tackle exploitation of elderly