Caregiver accused of exploiting elderly client, using stolen funds for luxury purchases

by Grace Bellinghausen

PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — A Palm Beach County caregiver is accused of stealing over $17,000 from his elderly client with dementia.

According to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office (PBSO), caregiver Mathieu Gustave knowingly stole money from his client, an elderly man with dementia, between August 2022 and June 2023.

Deputies accuse Gustave of making $17,000 in unauthorized cash withdrawals in total.

Records show that Gustave also used his clients' credit cards on Amazon, with a digital trail revealing dozens of expensive purchases, including smartphones, a blender, sneakers, perfume, and smartwatches.

In addition to the Amazon account, deputies say Gustave also linked his client's card to his Cash App account, sending over $1,800, and his T-Mobile account, using his card for over $600 worth of bills.

When confronted with his Amazon spending, Gustave told deputies, "I don't remember buying those... maybe someone messed up my account."

When asked if he believed everything he did was legal, he replied, "He gave me permission... we were like family... he helped me out."

Due to the psychiatric evaluation, deputies believe the victim lacked the capacity to consent, giving deputies probable cause to book Gustave on counts of exploitation of an elderly person and fraudulent use of identification. 

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Caregiver accused of exploiting elderly client, using stolen funds for luxury purchases 

Could Hailey Bieber be granted conservatorship over Justin Bieber? Legal experts weigh in

 Is Justin's erratic behaviour troubling enough to warrant a conservatorship?

by Swagatalakshmi Roychowdhury  

Justin Bieber's recent erratic behaviour, both online and in public, has sparked concern among fans, some of whom are now speculating whether his wife, Hailey Bieber, might seek legal conservatorship over him. T

Though the idea may sound extreme, legal experts suggest it’s not entirely out of the question.

Conservatorship is considered a last resort for those unable to care for themselves

A conservatorship is a legal mechanism typically reserved for individuals who are no longer able to manage their own personal or financial affairs, such as elderly people with dementia or those suffering from serious mental illness. If granted, it gives a court-appointed individual, called a conservator, significant control over decisions involving the conservatee’s life.

While conservatorships are designed to protect, they have come under scrutiny in recent years, most notably during Britney Spears' high-profile legal battle, which highlighted how the system can be misused.

In an interview, attorney Jamie Wright commented on the situation: “If Justin Bieber’s behaviour, including erratic social media activity, emotional instability, and signs of isolation, is as troubling as it seems, then yes, a conservatorship could legally be considered.”

Still, Wright emphasized that conservatorships are treated as a “legal nuclear option," aka a last resort. Particularly in California, where the Biebers reside, courts now require substantial medical evidence and do not rely solely on public behaviour or internet speculation to make such decisions.

Since the Britney Spears case, both courts and the public have grown more cautious about imposing such strict legal arrangements.

Should a case be pursued, it would likely be initiated by Hailey or Justin's mother, Pattie Mallette. They would need to demonstrate, with medical and legal backing, that Justin is either a danger to himself or others, or unable to responsibly manage his own affairs.

Recently, Hailey and Justin have welcomed their first child, a baby boy, and neither party has made any public comment about the rumours. 

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Could Hailey Bieber be granted conservatorship over Justin Bieber? Legal experts weigh in 

Warrant: Ex-Ansonia mayoral candidate stole $23K from 'vulnerable' elderly woman with dementia

By Jesse Leavenworth

ANSONIA — A city public works employee and former mayoral candidate stole more than $23,000 from an elderly woman who was diagnosed with progressive dementia, according to a warrant for his arrest.

Harry Danley, 55, a petitioning candidate in the three-way race for the executive seat in 2023, is charged with first-degree larceny for cashing numerous checks the 85-year-old woman wrote, including a total of $10,000 over two days in April 2024, police said.

The woman's lawn care provider for many years, Danley told police the funds were loans from one friend to another, but he has paid back only a small fraction of the checks he cashed from January 2020 to February this year, the warrant said.

City officials could not be reached Friday about Danley's employment status.

The vicim's daughters complained to police in March after noticing irregularities in their mother's checking account, Detective Richard Esposito wrote in the arrest warrant affidavit. One daughter is her mother's financial conservator and the other is her conservator for medical needs, Esposito wrote.

A letter from a physician's office dated March 19 says the elderly woman was being treated for progressive dementia, "which impairs her ability to problem-solve and increases her vulnerablity for financial exploitation," the warrant says.

Danley told Esposito in an initial interview on March 27 that "he didn't do anything wrong," the warrant says.

"He said he has cut (the victim's) lawn for the last thirty years and the money/checks she gave him was a loan," the warrant says.

Danley told Esposito that he was having financial troubles when he took the loans, including the foreclosure of a house he owned in Ansonia, the warrant said. He said he owed the woman $20,000, but provided only two transaction receipts signed by her, one for $2,000 and another for $100, Esposito wrote. Asked if he knew the woman had dementia, Danley said he had no idea, the warrant says.

Danley admitted he had not repaid the loans as he should have, but he told police he intended to sell the house he owned on North Cliff Street and pay the woman back with proceeds from the sale, the warrant says. City property records, however, showed an outstanding tax bill of $5,066 on the property and the owner listed as Sachem Capital Corp., the warrant said.

"It appears that Harry Danley exploited (the elderly woman's) vulnerability and gave her false promises and misrepresentations of being able to pay her back... plus telling her about selling his home that technically is not even his to sell," Esposito wrote.

Danley was released after posting a $35,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in state Superior Court in Derby on June 18, police said. 

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Warrant: Ex-Ansonia mayoral candidate stole $23K from 'vulnerable' elderly woman with dementia

Colorado nursing home employees arrested for elder abuse

By Sadie Buggle

CENTENNIAL, Colo. (KRDO) – Two Centennial nursing home employees have been arrested after a 92-year-old woman with severe dementia was discovered with unexplained broken bones, leading to an elder abuse investigation.

According to the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office (ACSO), 33-year-old Patience Jackson, an employee of the Orchard Park Health Care Center, was arrested at her home on June 11. She's now facing charges of criminal negligence, crimes against an at-risk person, and complicity – all class 5 felonies.

Authorities said that on May 9, an investigator was called to Sky Ridge Medical Center in Lone Tree to look into allegations of elder abuse against a 92-year-old woman suffering from severe dementia.

The investigator was called after hospital employees noticed the woman, who had been transported to the hospital via ambulance from Orchard Park Health Care Center, had two separate broken bones in her lower leg.

Hospital employees told the investigator that the woman's injuries didn't seem to match up with the report given to them by Orchard Park, who said that the woman was "found sitting in her wheelchair, screaming for help in terrible pain." The nursing home also reported that no one had seen her fall, and that they did not know what had happened, ACSO said.

After a four-week investigation, investigators gathered evidence showing that two Orchard Park employees – Patience Jackson, a certified nursing assistant, and Zainab Namale, a licensed practical nurse – had provided false information about how the woman was injured and worked to hide the truth.  

Investigators now believe the woman’s injuries occurred on May 8 and were the result of criminal negligence, a crime against an at-risk person, leading them to obtain arrest warrants for both employees.

ACSO said Jackson was booked into the Arapahoe County Detention Facility, where she's being held on a $2,500 bond. There is currently an active arrest warrant for Namale.

The sheriff's office said the case remains an active and ongoing investigation.

"If you ever encounter someone being abused, it is critical to take action," ACSO said in a press release Wednesday. "Please contact your local law enforcement or County Department of Adult Protective Services. Your prompt response can make a difference in ensuring the safety and well-being of vulnerable citizens."

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Colorado nursing home employees arrested for elder abuse 

Cobb County man found dead in home, caregiver arrested

By Denise Dillon

COBB COUNTY, Ga. - A Cobb County man was found dead in his home. Now, the woman who was supposed to be taking care of him is in jail.

What we know:

According to an arrest warrant, Earl Douglas suffered from infected bed sores and had lost significant weight in recent months.

The document states his caregiver, 62-year-old Rachel Ward, "failed to provide adequate shelter, keeping him inside a house with no air conditioning and failing to clean his room, his bed, or himself when soiled."

What they're saying:

Neighbors say the two had lived in the same home on Stoneridge Drive in Marietta for several years. They say the caregiver was always very friendly.

"For the longest I thought she was a very good person, did everything, took care of the man," said Bobby Mosher, who lives next door.

Mosher has lived on Stoneridge Drive for 30 years. The house next door had been a rental for most of that time, until Douglas moved back in several years ago.

Mosher said Douglas had a stroke.

"I'd see him wrapped up on the back porch, she'd have him out there wrapped up, getting some sun or something," said Mosher.

He says the last time he saw Douglas was a couple of months ago, when Douglas fell out of his wheelchair in the driveway and Ward needed help getting him up.

"Once she grabbed a hold, he was always 'ow ow ow!' I said, dang, something is wrong. I told her, you better call an ambulance and have this man looked at," said Mosher.

When Mosher saw police cars line the street Wednesday morning, he knew something was terribly wrong.

"They were walking her to the police car in handcuffs, and she said 'Hi Bobby,' and I said 'Hi, is anything wrong?' and that's when the police officers turned to me and came to tell me that Earl passed," said Mosher.

What's next:

Ward has been charged with Neglect of an Elderly Person. She's being held in the Cobb County Jail without bond. At this time, we do not have information on a court date. 

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Cobb County man found dead in home, caregiver arrested 

Caregiver arrested for abuse of 3 women with intellectual disabilities in Centreville

By Bryan Henry

CENTREVILLE, Ala. (WBRC) - A man was arrested for the abuse of three women in west Alabama.

We first learned about the abuse case in March. The Centreville police chief says one man is now accused of abusing at least three women with intellectual disabilities. One of the victims had serious injuries.

Centreville investigators identified the suspect as Matthew Stacy, a Bibb County man who is currently in the Bibb County Jail, according to court records. Stacy is said to be in his 40s.

“It’s a very uncommon thing to see in Bibb County,” said Centreville Police Chief Rodney Smith.

And that “uncommon thing” is Stacy’s role as a caregiver for the three survivors. What started out as an investigation involving one victim evolved into three.

“I think it stems more from psychological abuse rather than physical abuse. Even though there was physical abuse, it’s more psychological,” said Smith.

Investigators also believe Stacy stole hundreds of dollars worth of monthly government checks that belonged to the women he was caring for. The chief says that amount could be higher.

“I think it was the financial exploitation he was doing with each one of the victims, and I think that was the background of the motive. I don’t know if that was the complete motive,” said Smith.

Stacy faces felony charges pertaining to physical and financial abuse. Of the three survivors, one required surgery.

“Because the marks on her back had set up for infections,” said Smith.

It’s still unclear for now how Stacy became the caregiver for the three women. That, too, is part of the ongoing investigation, according to Smith.

“Not to my knowledge. He hasn’t confessed to any of the charges,” said Smith.

Today, one victim is in a nursing home. The other two are with family members in Bibb and Perry counties.

Smith has had a long career in law enforcement. He saw first-hand the emotional trauma in this case.

“I hope I never see it again,” said Smith.

Smith says based on the evidence they have now, they are not aware of any additional victims.

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Caregiver arrested for abuse of 3 women with intellectual disabilities in Centreville 

Executor embezzles $3.7 million from dementia patient, exposing a growing elder-fraud crisis

When a 66-year-old trustee systematically drained $3.7 million from his 92-year-old dementia patient’s accounts, it laid bare the devastating human toll behind soaring elder-fraud statistics. Now, cooperatives like Appalachian Community Federal Credit Union are responding with age-friendly alerts, legal safe harbors, red-flag training, and World Elder Abuse Awareness Day initiatives to turn data into decisive protection.

After befriending a 92-year-old woman who suffered from senile dementia—and, after being named her executor and trustee, a 66-year-old man systematically drained $3.7 million from her accounts through withdrawals, checks, and credit-card charges.  

The man then squandered the funds on lavish vacations, gourmet dining, high-end shopping, theater tickets, alcohol—and even extensive plastic surgery—leaving the woman’s estate and heirs virtually penniless.  

That’s all, according to the district attorney, who condemned the crime as a “take advantage of an elderly woman suffering from senile dementia,” noting that the betrayal not only robbed the woman of her lifetime savings but also violated the fiduciary duty he was entrusted to uphold.

Unfortunately, this type of crime is common. In 2024, older Americans lost $12.5 billion to scams and fraud—a 25 percent increase over 2023’s $10 billion—while victims aged 60 and older filed 147,127 complaints with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, reporting $4.9 billion in losses (a 43 percent jump).  

What elder financial exploitation is—and why it matters

The Department of Justice defines elder financial exploitation as the improper use of an age-60-or-older adult's funds, property, or resources by another individual, including, but not limited to, fraud, false pretenses, embezzlement, conspiracy, forgery, falsifying records, coercion, property transfers, or denying them access to their wealth.

The figures above underscore not only the scale of financial harm but also the urgency for proactive defenses.  

The most common types

In conjunction with World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15, Appalachian Community Federal Credit Union posted a news item stressing how tellers and member-services staff become the first line of defense in daily interactions.  

Appalachian Community FCU also shared a list of the most common elderly financial abuse:

• Property theft
• Misuse of income or assets
• Forged checks
• Fraudulent use of Power of Attorney privileges
• Lotteries and phony contests
• Phony solicitation from charities
• Investment fraud
• Medical scams
• Contractor scams
• Grandparent/grandchild imposter emergency scams
• Sweetheart or romance scams

Common schemes and red flags  

There are warning signs that credit unions can be mindful of. It might be something as eye-catching as sudden large withdrawals or abrupt shifts in an investment strategy. It could be something as subtle as a new signer on an established account. These often occur through common schemes:

Family or caregivers: Misuse of joint accounts or powers of attorney remains prevalent.  

Strangers: Romance scams, tech-support imposters, and “grandparent emergency” pitches drive urgent wire-transfer requests.  

Financial professionals: High-pressure investment solicitations and unauthorized transfers occur often enough that many states now permit temporary “report-and-hold” freezes when exploitation is suspected.  

Credit unions as front-line defenders

At Achieva Credit Union’s Clearwater branch in early 2025, an 89-year-old member arrived to withdraw $9,500 after receiving a call from someone claiming to be her grandson’s attorney. Teller Jennifer Sgro recognized the unusually large, urgent request, engaged the member in conversation, and then quietly called the grandson—who was safe and unaware of any legal trouble—and the member’s daughter.  

Sgro subsequently notified local law enforcement and placed the transaction on hold, effectively blocking the scammer and preserving the member’s life savings. This swift, informed response underscores how empowered frontline staff—armed with red-flag training and trusted-contact procedures—can turn routine withdrawals into critical fraud interventions.

Credit unions can consider how to establish their own red-flag alerts and rapid interventions:

Trusted contacts. Encourage members to designate a trusted third party—often a family member—whom staff may alert before questionable transactions proceed. Collect the trusted contact’s information at account opening.

Legal safe harbor. The Senior Safe Act and FINRA/SEC guidelines shield good-faith staff who pause or report suspicious transactions from liability.

Mandatory training. Institutions leverage up-to-date modules—from CFPB’s Office for Older Americans to NASAA/FINRA toolkits—to refresh red-flag recognition annually.

Embed fraud alerts. Place fraud alerts within e-statements, mobile-app banners, and lobby signage.  

Formalize “report-and-hold” procedures. Aligned procedures with state safe-harbor statutes to freeze suspect disbursements up to 15 days.  

Host World Elder Abuse Awareness Day events. For example, EECU Credit Union (Fort Worth, Tex.) is planning an on-campus “Purple Pep Rally & Walk” on June 13, 2025, to demonstrate an in-person community campaign—complete with purple tees, informational booths, and survivor testimonials—to raise local awareness of elder-exploitation schemes.

With more than $12.5 billion in verified 2024 losses and nearly 150,000 elder-victim complaints, the imperative for credit unions is clear. By embedding age-friendly features and equipping staff with current red-flag training, credit unions can protect their members’ savings and strengthen trust at every branch.  

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Executor embezzles $3.7 million from dementia patient, exposing a growing elder-fraud crisis 

Centre officials warn of abuse, financial scams targeting seniors

Office of Aging to host Scam Jam on Aug. 13

by HUNTER SMITH

BELLEFONTE — Reports of elder abuse in Centre County have surged five-fold over the last decade, prompting the Board of Commissioners to proclaim June 2025 as Elder Abuse Prevention Month.

Speaking before the county commissioners this week, Quentin Burchfield and Sheri Neale-Gummo of the Centre County Office of Aging revealed that over 350 reports of elder abuse were made in 2024, a dramatic increase from years past. They attributed the rise to a combination of heightened awareness of what constitutes abuse and increasingly sophisticated financial scams.

While elder abuse can sometimes be egregious, it often takes more subtle forms as neglect or maltreatment. Examples of elder abuse can include physical abuse, neglect, self-neglect, sexual abuse and financial exploitation.

“It’s the same across Pennsylvania. Every year, you’re looking at an increased percentage of reports coming in,” said Burchfield, director of the Office of Aging.

“We believe some of it is recognition,” he said, though he did not discount the possibility that the actual occurrence of abuse is also rising.

Recently, Pennsylvania Secretary of Aging Jason Kavulich announced that, for the first time, financial exploitation has surpassed self-neglect as the most commonly reported issue to the department.

In Centre County alone, hundreds of thousands of dollars have been stolen from elderly residents. Statewide, the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General estimates that criminals stole between $260 million and $2.1 billion from Pennsylvanians over the age of 60 in 2022. They also estimate that more than 28,000 Pennsylvania seniors were victimized by financial scams in the 2022-23 fiscal year, which is up nearly 30 percent from the previous year.

Often, the money stolen by these criminals is unrecoverable, which the Office of Aging and county commissioners say underscores the importance of educating seniors about new and evolving scams before they become victims.

“The financial exploitations are getting more complex, and they are getting more difficult to investigate,” said Burchfield.

The Office of Aging representatives explained that, increasingly, scammers are adopting new techniques to dupe their victims, including spoofing calls, conducting background research or creating “deepfake” – hyper-realistic AI-generated or manipulated media – to make their scams more convincing.

“AI has taken it to a whole other level,” said Burchfield. “It becomes very believable.”

“We’re hearing horror stories,” he said, of calls mimicking voices of grandchildren in trouble. Commissioner Amber Concepcion mentioned that her own parents have been targeted by scammers using similar tactics.

The representatives said, often, the victims of these scams are older adults who are isolated or cognitively impaired.

“They are using that vulnerability to really pray on them,” said Neale-Gummo.

She warned that in some particularly serious cases, scammers have shown up at victims’ homes, which she shared has already happened in Centre County. In one instance, she said, an abuser physically took gold from a victim’s home.

“But what’s not talked about a lot,” Burchfield said “are friends and family members who are exploiting their loved ones.”

He explained that this abuse often takes the form of a relative opening credit cards or bank accounts in the victim’s name.

Scammers of all sorts frequently exploit their victims’ embarrassment or fear of retribution to keep them from coming forward. In other cases, they convince the victim that the money will be returned or that it was spent for a good cause.

The representatives urged anyone who has fallen victim to a scam to come forward and speak with the police to prevent further exploitation. They emphasized that the Office of Aging, the Sheriff’s Office and local law enforcement are all ready to help, without judgement, and that state and federal legislators also have resources available to support victims.

The Office of Aging operates a 24/7 on-call service to take reports of elder abuse and employs three full-time protective service workers whose job it is to investigate allegations of neglect, abuse, exploitation and abandonment. These workers determine the facts of each allegation and, if the person needs protective services, develop a plan to eliminate or reduce the risk of abuse. The office is currently hiring to fill one of these protective service positions.

To help educate the public about these scams, the Office of Aging will be hosting a Scam Jam event on Aug. 13, 2025, at the new Community Services Building, 502 E. Howard Street, Bellefonte. Sponsored by Rep. Paul Takac (D-Centre), the event is intended to help educate older adults about the risk, identification and prevention of phone-based scams

The Commissioners urged the community to think of their role in preventing elder abuse, especially when an older person’s ability to advocate for themselves has been diminished or lost.

Based on current projections, the super-senior population in Centre County, which includes people over the age of 85, will double in the next 25 years. The Commissioners noted how imperative it is that we establish a norm for protecting our elders both in the present and for the future.

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Centre officials warn of abuse, financial scams targeting seniors  

Four arrested in Valdosta for physical, mental, and financial abuse

Release:

A wellness check that was conducted by a detective and Lowndes County Department of Family and Children Services, results in the arrest of four adults, who had been physically, mentally, and financially abusing a victim.

On May 19, 2025, at 1 pm., a Detective with the Valdosta Police Department received a request from the Lowndes County Department of Family and Children Services (DFACS), to escort them to a residence in the 2500 block of Jerry Jones Drive to assist them with a wellness check on an adult female. DFACS provided the detective with information that there had been allegations that a 37-year-old female at this residence, was being physically abused.

At the residence, the detective contacted Sherri Goode, 44, and Louren Riley, 46. Both Sherri and Louren appeared to be evasive and would not cooperate with answering questions from the detective. Due to their actions at the front door, the detective called for other officers to respond to assist her.

When other officers and detectives arrived, they found the 37-year-old female victim inside the residence, and she needed medical assistance. SGMC Emergency Medical Services responded to the residence, and the female was later taken to the hospital for treatment.

Sherri and Louren were taken to the Valdosta Police Department to speak with detectives. They were later transported to Lowndes County Jail.

Through investigation, detectives found evidence that showed over a significant amount of time, the victim was physically, mentally, and financially abused by Sherri and Louren, along with Sherri’s husband, Kenneth Goode, 46, and the victim’s daughter, Kiera Tolliver, 19.

On May 21, 2025, detectives obtained arrest warrants for Sherri, Louren, Kenneth, and Kiera, for the following charges:

• Kidnapping-felony;

• False imprisonment-felony;

• Aggravated assault-felony;

• Aggravated battery-felony;

• Exploitation and intimidation of a Disabled Adult-felony;

• 4 counts of cruelty to a child in the 1st degree-felony; and

• Battery-misdemeanor.

After obtaining the arrest warrants, detectives received information that Kenneth and Kiera were at a location in Dooly County, Georgia. Detectives contacted deputies and investigators at the Dooly County Sheriff’s Office and provided information on their

location. They quickly located Kenneth and Kiera, taking them into custody without incident.

VPD Detectives met with deputies at the Dooly County Sheriff’s Office and took custody of Kenneth and Kiera. They transported them back to Valdosta, where they were later turned over to Lowndes County Jail.

The victim is continuing to receive medical treatment, at an undisclosed facility. There were four children under the age of 10 in the residence, while this abuse had been occurring. DFACS has taken custody of the children to ensure they are being taken care of.

This investigation, which involves VPD, DFACS, the CAC, the Haven, and the Southern Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office, is still ongoing and more charges will be forthcoming. At this point in the investigation, detectives have not found any evidence that the children were physically abused.

“This is the most horrific case that our department has investigated in most of our careers, and our prayers go out to the victim and the children. The teamwork between all of our community partners in getting needed resources quickly, has been amazing. We also appreciate the assistance from the Georgia Department of Public Safety Motor Carrier Compliance Division and the Dooly County Sheriff’s Office, who did not hesitate to help us locate two of our offenders. We will continue working with our District Attorney’s Office to ensure these callous monsters are held accountable for everything they have done.” Said Chief Leslie Manahan

If anyone has any further information on this case or any other cases, please get in touch with the Valdosta Police Department Bureau of Investigative Services at 229-293-3145, the crime tip line at 229-293-3091, or file a tip online at www.valdostacity.com/police-department. 

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Four arrested in Valdosta for physical, mental, and financial abuse