Three indicted on elderly exploitation chargesTelegraph staff report

Three indicted on elderly exploitation chargesTelegraph staff report


2012-02-03 08:01:11

EDWARDSVILLE - A Madison County grand jury has indicted three people in connection with separate financial exploitation cases involving elderly victims.

Collinsville residents Romayne Y. Pike, 80, and her daughter, Diane M. Moore, 53, both were charged in the indictment handed down Thursday with two counts of financial exploitation of an elderly person, a Class 1 felony.

The victim, a 91-year-old female, is a resident at the Fountains II Assisted Living Facility in Troy. The defendants, her cousins, have had power of attorney since 2005. During that time, police allege that they stole $462,686 belonging to the victim. Police were contacted last October after an employee at the Fountains noticed financial discrepancies. Investigators believe that the money was spent on various items, including bills, vehicles and property.

In the second case, the Illinois State Police were contacted last October by employees of the Alhambra Care Center, in Alhambra, after they became suspicious over unpaid bills. The alleged victim in this case, a 64-year-old female, had given her power of attorney to Marjorie L. Phelps, 63, of Marine, in 2003. Phelps had asked the victim to move in with her and her family following the death of the victim's husband in 2003.

Investigators said they believe that Phelps was having financial problems when she started stealing the alleged victim's money. It is estimated that $290,148 has been stolen from the nursing home resident.

Phelps was charged with two counts of unlawful financial exploitation of a disabled person, two counts of theft over $100,000 and two counts of unlawful financial exploitation of an elderly person, all Class 1 felonies.

"It's always disheartening to uncover fraud at this level. Victims put their trust in these individuals, and they turn around and betray that trust with deceit and lies," Madison County State's Attorney Tom Gibbons said. "We must continue to protect our most vulnerable citizens, along with the security that they and their families worked their whole lives to build."

The maximum penalty for a Class 1 felony is four to 15 years in prison. Bond was set at $150,000 for all three defendants, who were not in custody Thursday.

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