Stevens woman stole over $800,000 from grandfather: police

by NATHAN WILLISON

West Earl Township police have charged a Stevens woman with deceiving her grandfather out of $810,750 in 2022 after being given access to his finances. 

Sarah F. Shanely, 39, is charged with felony counts of financial exploitation of an older adult and theft by deception after police say she became controlling of her grandfather’s estate planning. 

According to charging documents, after the death of her grandmother, Shanely was one of three people given power of attorney for her grandfather. Her grandfather was in his 80s and was under emotional distress from the death of his wife and was suffering from an injury after a fall.

Police say it was determined during an estate planning meeting that $15,000 to $18,000 would be gifted to family members to shield it from taxation. 

After learning from an attorney there was no limit on the amount that could be gifted, police say Shanely told her grandfather he should gift $200,000 to each of his three grandchildren. However, he told her he did not want to distribute that much as he also wanted to leave money to his two sons. 

According to an affidavit, in July 2022 Shanely wrote four checks from her grandfather’s bank  for $200,000 each. That same month, Shanely issued a payment of $10,750 from her grandfather's bank account to a private school her son attends. Police say the grandfather did not authorize the transaction. 

Police say the grandfather, along with the two other people serving as powers of attorney, repeatedly asked for the money to be returned due to confusion over what he was signing, but Shanely refused to return the money. 

Investigators concluded Shanely did not act in her grandfather’s best financial interest. An attorney representing Shanely did not return a request for comment Saturday. 

Shanely was released on $50,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 21, 2025. 

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Stevens woman stole over $800,000 from grandfather: police

Couple gets married at grandmother's nursing home just so she could attend

(KCBS)

FULLERTON, Calif. - A California couple decided to tie the knot at a nursing home, all so the bride's beloved grandmother could attend the ceremony.

Kristen Haigh said she couldn't imagine having her wedding without her beloved grandmother, 89-year-old Geraldine "Geri" Goss, in attendance.

Haigh and her now-husband, Steven Shoemaker, had planned to have a big wedding in September with about 150 people attending -- but the coronavirus pandemic quickly dashed those plans.

The couple decided to go back to the drawing board, and realized having Geri there was more important than a big ceremony.

"We had the epiphany of what really matters here, so we asked the facility if we could get married in the parking lot because her window faces the parking lot and of course, we got so much more," Haigh told KABC.

(KCBS)

Haigh and Shoemaker were originally supposed to marry in the parking lot, but staff at the Park Vista nursing home instead set up an area in their courtyard for the ceremony, KCBS reports.

"They've done such a lovely job here, I really am pleased," Goss said. "Of course, I didn't have anything to do with it."

Goss said that while she wishes her granddaughter had been able to have the wedding she originally planned, she was grateful she could attend the ceremony.

"You know we have to make the best in life. Not everything works smoothly," Goss told KABC.

(KCBS)

Masks were handed out and socially distanced seating was set up to help keep Goss and others in attendance safe.

“It’s just so special that she gets to be here today,” Haigh said. “It really is.”

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Couple gets married at grandmother's nursing home just so she could attend

The Latest: Judge allows grandma's early testimony

HONOLULU (AP) — The Latest on a hearing about grandma's testimony in corruption case (all times local):

3 p.m.

A judge is allowing a 99-year-old woman to provide early testimony in a corruption case against her granddaughter.

U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright on Friday granted federal prosecutors' request to take Florence Puana's deposition in the event she won't be available for trial. The deposition is scheduled for April 15.

Puana is the grandmother of Katherine Kealoha, an ex-deputy Honolulu prosecutor. Kealoha and her retired police chief husband are accused of defrauding relatives, banks and children to maintain a lavish lifestyle. Prosecutors say Puana is central to establishing a motive. They say Katherine Kealoha stole money from her grandmother and uncle and when they threatened to expose the fraud, Kealoha tried to have her grandmother declared incapacitated and framed her uncle.

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9:30 a.m.

A judge is considering whether to take early testimony from a 99-year-old year woman prosecutors say is a key witness in a Hawaii corruption investigation.

U.S. prosecutors want Florence Puana to be deposed by April 26 because of her health and age. They're concerned she won't be available for trial. A judge scheduled a hearing Friday on the request.

Puana is the grandmother of Katherine Kealoha, an ex-deputy Honolulu prosecutor. Kealoha and her retired police chief husband are accused of defrauding relatives, banks and children to maintain a lavish lifestyle.

Prosecutors say Puana is central to establishing a motive. They say Katherine Kealoha stole money from her grandmother and uncle and when they threatened to expose the fraud, Kealoha tried to have her grandmother declared incapacitated and framed her uncle.

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The Latest: Judge allows grandma's early testimony