Allentown woman sentenced to state prison for betraying 'guardian angel' Marlene Fowler
Shawnta Carmon, right, and Hassan Carmon were charged with defrauding philanthropist Marlene "Linny" Fowler of more than $1 million. Shawnta Carmon pleaded guilty earlier and was sentenced this morning to state prison. (Express-Times File Photo)
An Allentown woman sentenced today to state prison for stealing $1.15 million from late philanthropist Marlene "Linny" Fowler missed her chance to try and explain the deceit to her benefactor, and apologize.
Shawnta Carmon, 32, has been in Northampton County Prison on theft and related charges since Feb. 22, two and a half weeks after Fowler died on Feb. 4 at age 73.
"I never got to say sorry. Not only am I sitting in a jail cell and it's beating me up for what I did, it's beating me up that I never had a chance to explain. I never will," Carmon said today in court.
Northampton County Judge Emil Giordano sentenced Carmon to three to six years in state prison followed by nine years' probation.
Carmon became emotional as she explained to Giordano how she deceived Fowler, who made her mark helping the region's residents with the fortune of her late father, UPS chief executive Harold Oberkotter.
Carmon said she knew Fowler for decades through Fowler's well-known generosity. As a teen, she had been shot in the mouth and Fowler, she said, was the one who donated the money for her life-changing operation to repair the damage. After that, they were like family, Carmon said. Fowler was among the first to hold her four children when they were born, she said.
Carmon soon figured out Fowler would always be there for financial support, she said. When she wrecked her car, Fowler bought her a new one, she said. The millionaire put her four children through private school, even as Carmon was being evicted from her home, she said.
"I became dependent on her help. I started to stretch the truth. If the bill was $500, I would tell her it was $750," Carmon said.
In total, Carmon stole $1.15 million, said Northampton County Assistant District Attorney Jim Augustine. She wound up frittering all of it away, wasting it on gambling, cross-country trips to casinos and expensive clothing and limo rides, he said.
Augustine asked the judge to sentence Carmon to consecutive prison terms for theft by deception and conspiracy to commit theft by deception. Carmon asked the court to show her leniency, saying she has addressed her addiction problems while in prison.
Giordano acknowledged Carmon's efforts to better herself in prison, but he said he could not ignore the betrayal of a woman who gave so much to Carmon and the community. With the $1.15 million she stole, the judge said, Carmon could have put her four children through Penn State and master's degree programs and still have enough money left over to buy each of them a house.
"You could have changed your whole family tree," Giordano said. "I can't imagine how you spent that money."
In sentencing Carmon to prison, the judge gave her credit for time served and made her eligible for an early release program, but he also refused to agree with any talk that Carmon was a friend to Fowler.
"I can't help, though, to believe that you did engage in this systematic deceit of your guardian angel," he said. "You can't sit here and tell me you were her friend because a friend would not do this to their friend. So don't insult me by calling yourself that."
Shawnta Carmon, 32, has been in Northampton County Prison on theft and related charges since Feb. 22, two and a half weeks after Fowler died on Feb. 4 at age 73.
"I never got to say sorry. Not only am I sitting in a jail cell and it's beating me up for what I did, it's beating me up that I never had a chance to explain. I never will," Carmon said today in court.
Northampton County Judge Emil Giordano sentenced Carmon to three to six years in state prison followed by nine years' probation.
Carmon became emotional as she explained to Giordano how she deceived Fowler, who made her mark helping the region's residents with the fortune of her late father, UPS chief executive Harold Oberkotter.
Carmon said she knew Fowler for decades through Fowler's well-known generosity. As a teen, she had been shot in the mouth and Fowler, she said, was the one who donated the money for her life-changing operation to repair the damage. After that, they were like family, Carmon said. Fowler was among the first to hold her four children when they were born, she said.
Carmon soon figured out Fowler would always be there for financial support, she said. When she wrecked her car, Fowler bought her a new one, she said. The millionaire put her four children through private school, even as Carmon was being evicted from her home, she said.
"I became dependent on her help. I started to stretch the truth. If the bill was $500, I would tell her it was $750," Carmon said.
In total, Carmon stole $1.15 million, said Northampton County Assistant District Attorney Jim Augustine. She wound up frittering all of it away, wasting it on gambling, cross-country trips to casinos and expensive clothing and limo rides, he said.
Augustine asked the judge to sentence Carmon to consecutive prison terms for theft by deception and conspiracy to commit theft by deception. Carmon asked the court to show her leniency, saying she has addressed her addiction problems while in prison.
Giordano acknowledged Carmon's efforts to better herself in prison, but he said he could not ignore the betrayal of a woman who gave so much to Carmon and the community. With the $1.15 million she stole, the judge said, Carmon could have put her four children through Penn State and master's degree programs and still have enough money left over to buy each of them a house.
"You could have changed your whole family tree," Giordano said. "I can't imagine how you spent that money."
In sentencing Carmon to prison, the judge gave her credit for time served and made her eligible for an early release program, but he also refused to agree with any talk that Carmon was a friend to Fowler.
"I can't help, though, to believe that you did engage in this systematic deceit of your guardian angel," he said. "You can't sit here and tell me you were her friend because a friend would not do this to their friend. So don't insult me by calling yourself that."
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