Maryland Women Sentenced for Financial Exploitation of Vulnerable Adult, Ordered to Pay Over $28,000 in Restitution

By Patrick Herron

Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced the sentencing of Tavonia Stackhouse and Monica Brown for financially exploiting a vulnerable adult at Rescuing Hearts Assisted Living Facility in Baltimore City. Stackhouse was sentenced to 60 days in jail and restitution of $25,291.80, while Brown received time served, restitution of $3,000, and 100 hours of community service, with both defendants barred from providing care for vulnerable adults or participating in federally funded health programs.

Attorney General Anthony G. Brown today announced the sentencing of Tavonia Stackhouse, 47, of Randallstown, Maryland, and Monica Brown, 49, of Baltimore, Maryland, relating to the financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult while the victim lived at Rescuing Hearts Assisted Living Facility in Baltimore City. Stackhouse owned the assisted living facility, and Brown was a caretaker at the facility.

From August of 2022 to May of 2023, Stackhouse and Brown used the bank account of a vulnerable adult who lived at their assisted living facility as if it were their own. When the vulnerable adult confronted them, Stackhouse and Brown said the victim was delusional and aggressive. This allegation led to the victim being hospitalized and later relocated to a different facility.

“Residents of assisted living facilities depend on their caretakers to look out for their best interests—not to exploit them,” said Attorney General Brown. “Financial abuse of vulnerable adults is a serious betrayal of trust, and our Office will always stand up for Marylanders who cannot advocate for themselves, holding accountable those who take advantage of them.”

On March 3, 2025, Stackhouse pleaded guilty to financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult before the Honorable Judge Althea Handy of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City. Judge Handy sentenced her to five years, suspending all but 60 days in jail with three years of supervised probation, and to pay restitution of $25,291.80.

On March 18, 2025, Brown pleaded guilty to financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult before the Honorable Judge Barry Williams of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City. Judge Williams sentenced her to five years, suspended all but time served, with three years of supervised probation, restitution of $3,000.00, and 100 hours of community service.

As terms of probation, both defendants were ordered not to provide care for vulnerable adults or participate in Medicare, Medicaid, or any other federally funded health program.

In making today’s announcement, Attorney General Brown thanked his Medicaid Fraud and Vulnerable Victims Unit, particularly Deputy Director Lisa Hyle Marts, Assistant Attorney General Kurt Davidson, Investigator Kevin Clements, Investigator Edward Gray, and Fraud Analyst David Minzer for their work on this case.

The Maryland Office of the Attorney General, Medicaid Fraud and Vulnerable Victims Unit receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $6,845,828 for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2025. The remaining 25 percent, totaling $2,281,939 for FY 2025, is funded by the State of Maryland.

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Maryland Women Sentenced for Financial Exploitation of Vulnerable Adult, Ordered to Pay Over $28,000 in Restitution

$3.7 Million in Restitution Ordered in SE MN ‘Romance Scam’ Case

Wabasha, MN (KROC-AM News) - Restitution has been set at more than $3.7 million in the case of a southeastern Minnesota woman who bankrupted her employer by stealing the funds to meet the demands of a so-called "romance scammer."

61-year-old Sharon Ann Schmalzreidt was sentenced this week for her conviction on a felony theft charge. The Wabasha woman earlier entered a guilty plea to the charge through a plea agreement that led to the dismissal of a felony count of financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult.

According to the criminal complaint in the case, Schmalziedt began an online relationship with a man she knew as Erik Lockwood. She told investigators the man told her he needed money in order to access $7 million he was owed for work that he had performed in Dubai, and that he would pay her back. 

The court document says Schmalzeidt admitted sending the scammer money she stole from her employer after she had given him all of her own funds. The evidence listed in the case included a review of her cell phone that showed that she was aware she was stealing from her employer and that her actions drove the unnamed company into bankruptcy.

The charges stated she worked as the bookkeeper for a business based in Lewiston. The thefts began in October 2019 and continued through last March, when she was fired.

The criminal complaint says the owner of the firm hired a Chief Financial Officer from an outside firm after noticing multiple large transfers of funds to organizations that were not associated with the business and had the same bank account numbers.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension then join the investigation. It determined the company's losses from the thefts totaled more than $3.7 million. 

It was also alleged that Schmalzriedt stole more than $17,000 from a vulnerable adult in her care. The charges stated that the stolen funds had been set aside to pay the victims nursing home bills.

For her conviction, Schmalzeidt was given a stayed 21 month prison sentence and was placed on probation for five years. The prison sentence could be enforced if she fails to meet the terms of her probation.

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$3.7 Million in Restitution Ordered in SE MN ‘Romance Scam’ Case

PAMLICO CO: Pastor found guilty of embezzlement, elderly exploitation

PAMLICO COUNTY, NC (WITN) - A pastor was found guilty of embezzling more than $100,000 from an elderly woman here in Eastern Carolina.

Thomas Steele, 63, a pastor at New Life Baptist Church in Concord, was convicted Friday on embezzlement charges and four counts of exploitation of an elderly adult.

District Attorney Scott Thomas says Steele took more than $120,000 from an elderly woman from Grantsboro in the month's after her husband's death.

The victim, who is now 85, testified that she did not authorize for Steele to take her money and did not know that he had access to her accounts. Thomas says a family friend noticed the suspicious activity and reported it to law enforcement.

"This case demonstrates the importance of being aware of our older relatives and friends," said Thomas.

Steele was sentenced to up to 8 years in prison. He was also ordered to pay restitution of more than $123,000 to the victim.

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PAMLICO CO: Pastor found guilty of embezzlement, elderly exploitation