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

Two Marion County Kentucky Women Sentenced for Elder Fraud Scheme

For Immediate Release

U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Kentucky

Louisville, KY – Two Marion County women were sentenced yesterday for their roles in an over $500,000 elder fraud scheme. Donna Jean Bradshaw, 57, of Lebanon, Kentucky, was sentenced to 48 months of imprisonment, followed by 48 months of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay restitution of $582,635. Tammy Lynn Gilbert, 49, of Bradfordsville, Kentucky, was sentenced to 5 years of supervised release, including 12 months of home incarceration, and was ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution and a $1,000 fine. 

U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Louisville Field Office made the announcement.

According to court documents, between March 2013 and June 2016, Bradshaw, aided by Gilbert, engaged in multiple schemes to commit bank fraud and wire fraud. Bradshaw, with Gilbert’s aid, engaged in various means to defraud an elderly victim of funds, including creating a fictitious United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration mortgage loan reimbursement program and fabricating documents from a Louisville law firm to create the appearance of a fictitious inheritance.

Bradshaw pleaded guilty to two counts of bank fraud and eight counts of wire fraud on January 25, 2023. Gilbert pleaded guilty to two counts of bank fraud and eight counts of wire fraud on June 25, 2020. 

The case was investigated by the FBI Louisville Field Office. 

Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Weiser and Corrine Keel prosecuted the case.

This case was investigated and prosecuted as part of the National Elder Justice Task Force and the Kentucky Elder Justice Task Force. The Department of Justice’s mission of its Elder Justice Initiative is to support and coordinate the Department’s enforcement and programmatic efforts to combat elder abuse, neglect and financial fraud and scams that target our nation’s older adults. In response to the growing need and targeting areas of greatest concern, the Department of Justice initially stood up 10 task forces made up of 11 federal districts to combat a variety of elder abuse, including elder financial exploitation. Kentucky’s federal districts make up two of the 11 districts under the Initiative. Kentucky’s task force is comprised of investigators, prosecutors, and others at the local, state, and federal level with a common objective of protecting seniors across Kentucky.

In October, the Department announced that as part of its continuing efforts to protect older adults and bring perpetrators of fraud schemes to justice it is expanding the Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force, adding 14 new U.S. Attorney’s Offices. Expansion of the Strike Force will help to coordinate the Department’s ongoing efforts to combat largest and most harmful fraud schemes that target or disproportionately impact older adults. 

To report elder fraud, for non-life-threatening emergencies, call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (or 833-372-8311).

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Two Marion County Kentucky Women Sentenced for Elder Fraud Scheme