Thursday, October 24, 2013

Three accused of bilking elderly Owls Head woman of more than $20,000

Three accused of bilking elderly Owls Head woman of more than $20,000

Terry Perry
Courtesy of Knox County Jail
Terry Perry

Posted Oct. 23, 2013, at 2:33 p.m.
Last modified Oct. 23, 2013, at 4:39 p.m.
Tasha Campbell
Courtesy of Knox County Jail
Tasha Campbell
OWLS HEAD, Maine — Three people have been charged in connection with the theft of more than $20,000 from an elderly woman.
Caregivers Tasha Campbell, 22, of Searsmont and Alicia Rawley, 45, of Waldoboro were charged with Class C theft, according to a news release issued Wednesday by the Knox County Sheriff’s Office.
Campbell was arrested Sept. 12 and has since been released on bail. She is scheduled to make her initial appearance in Rockland District Court on Oct. 30. Rawley was issued a summons on Oct. 2. No court date has been set for her.
Also, Terry Perry, 40, of South Thomaston was arrested Sept. 26 and charged with Class C theft in connection with the case. Perry made his initial court appearance Sept. 27 in Rockland District Court and is free on bail. He is next scheduled to appear in Knox County Superior Court on Dec. 20.
Perry is a friend of Campbell, according to the sheriff’s office.
All three admitted to Detective Donald Murray that they took the money, according to the sheriff’s office. The lengthy investigation began with a complaint fielded by Deputy Paul Pinkham.
Wednesday’s news release stated that the suspects admitted that on many occasions they used the victim’s debit and credit cards to buy items and obtain cash. The victim was unaware that her debit card was used in more than 80 transactions for cash withdrawals, the sheriff’s office reported.
Murray said Wednesday that the investigation continues and that the amount of money taken from the 75-year-old woman was significantly more than $20,000. He said the caregivers were not from a home health agency.
An affidavit filed by the sheriff’s office in the Perry case stated that a woman helping the elderly victim with her bookkeeping noticed an extensive number of withdrawals from an automated teller machine. The victim pointed out that she never used her ATM card but had it at her house for the caregivers to buy food and supplies for her.
When investigators turned their attention to her credit cards, they found those had been used at places such as Goodwill, Wal-Mart, and a Circle K convenience store without her knowledge. Video footage from the stores helped determine who was making the transactions, according to the affidavit.
If anyone believes that they or someone they know may be a victim of similar crimes, the sheriff’s office asked that people contact Detective Murray at 594-0429 extension 723.

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