Prattville caregiver steals cancer patient's identity
(Source: WSFA 12 News)
AUTAUGA CO., AL (WSFA) - An Autauga County woman has learned her fate after stealing the identity of the elderly cancer patient she was hired to care for.
Sherry Walters was sentenced this week on charges of identity theft and financial exploitation of an elderly person.
The victim was identified as an 82-year-old Prattville man who is a disabled veteran.
“She had been a caregiver in the victim's residence. He was an elderly cancer patient. While caring for him in his residence, she gained access to his identifying information and was able to use his personal information for her personal benefit,” said Jessica Sanders, Assistant District Attorney with Alabama’s 19th Judicial Circuit.
Prosecutors say Walters used the victim's identifying information over a period of six months during a time when he was traveling out of state for cancer treatments.
Walters was placed on 18 months of supervised probation after receiving a suspended prison sentence. She was fined and ordered to pay restitution.
“This type of crime that occurs with someone who you trust to care for you and work in your residence does cause you to feel violated. I think they were disappointed that she could have done this or that she would have done this and they were disappointed to have been placed in this situation at all,” Sanders added.
John Matson with the Alabama Nursing Home Association says elder abuse can take many forms, including physical and mental abuse as well as financial exploitation.
He pointed out that in-home care is different from nursing homes and assisted living facilities where there are many people every day, including employees, other residents and volunteers. If something does happen in one of those locations, it's often much more easily spotted and much more quickly reported.
When it comes to hiring an in-home caregiver, he recommends using an established company.
“If you do go the route of hiring someone on your own or maybe placing an ad in a newspaper or somewhere to find someone to take care of your loved one at home, it's important to do a background check, specifically a criminal background check. You will want to get several references and follow up on those references. Those things can help give you a little peace of mind as you get to know this new caregiver for your loved one,” Matson explained.
He stressed to importance of reporting abuse or neglect to local authorities.
Alabama prosecutors say they are seeing more elder abuse cases because the number of people 60 and over in Alabama and across the nation continues to increase and because of new statutes geared at fighting crimes against the elderly.
In Autauga County, Sanders says around five cases of elder abuse have been prosecuted this year. In early 2016, a high profile elder abuse case is set to go to trial involving Glen Glassmeyer, who police and prosecutors say conned a Prattville woman in her 80s out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. According to authorities, Glassmeyer weaseled his way into the victim’s life acting as a caretaker and they formed a relationship. He later gained power of attorney, putting his name on her accounts and transferring money into them, Assistant Chief Diane Hamm revealed after his arrest. He also allegedly made different purchases and was trying to get the victim to buy him a house. Glassmeyer even married the victim.
Last week, an Alabama woman who admitted to stealing an elderly dementia patient's identity and using it to steal her money was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison.
Shostocka Keya Ward, 43, stole more than $300,000 from the victim's bank and credit accounts when Ward worked at a senior citizens living center in Hoover.
According to Ward's guilty plea, she wrote more than $70,000 in unauthorized checks to herself and used the victim's credit cards to finance her wedding, someone's prison account, private school tuition payments and trips.
The Montgomery County District Attorney's Office has prosecuted eight cases this year where defendants were charged with financial exploitation of an elderly person and one case of elderly physical abuse. Another 8-10 are in varying stages in the criminal process. A majority of the financial cases have involved in-home caregivers, either family or contract.
Seth Gowan, Deputy District Attorney with Alabama's 15th Judicial Circuit and and member of the Montgomery County Elder Justice Task Force, says the number of complaints of elder financial exploitation per year has steadily increased since the Protecting Alabama’s Elders Act was passed. He added that the aging population, as well as the public awareness effort by the District Attorney's Office and the Montgomery County Elder Justice Task Force partners, and the training law enforcement and prosecutors have received regarding the new law have resulted in more focused attention.
Task force officials suggest that when it comes to using businesses and services that provide in-home health care assistance to seniors, you should ask about the employees being paid through the business, not directly by the senior and/or family.
"Regardless, you need to make sure the person has been vetted as much as possible, having good references and work history," Gowan added.
Other tips and things to look for include:
- The caregiver should never be allowed to become familiar or know about senior's financial affairs, ie., where the checkbook is, credit, debit cards, etc.
- Always be cautious and guarded with financial information and personal identifying information such as date of birth and social security number.
- If the caregiver is asking for extra money, to borrow money or help paying bills, these can be red flags and opportunities for the elderly person to quickly become a victim.
Contact the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office at 832-2550 or the One Place Family Justice Center at 262-7378 with any questions or concerns.
There are other agencies that can assist seniors and/or their family including:
Sherry Walters was sentenced this week on charges of identity theft and financial exploitation of an elderly person.
The victim was identified as an 82-year-old Prattville man who is a disabled veteran.
“She had been a caregiver in the victim's residence. He was an elderly cancer patient. While caring for him in his residence, she gained access to his identifying information and was able to use his personal information for her personal benefit,” said Jessica Sanders, Assistant District Attorney with Alabama’s 19th Judicial Circuit.
Prosecutors say Walters used the victim's identifying information over a period of six months during a time when he was traveling out of state for cancer treatments.
Walters was placed on 18 months of supervised probation after receiving a suspended prison sentence. She was fined and ordered to pay restitution.
“This type of crime that occurs with someone who you trust to care for you and work in your residence does cause you to feel violated. I think they were disappointed that she could have done this or that she would have done this and they were disappointed to have been placed in this situation at all,” Sanders added.
John Matson with the Alabama Nursing Home Association says elder abuse can take many forms, including physical and mental abuse as well as financial exploitation.
He pointed out that in-home care is different from nursing homes and assisted living facilities where there are many people every day, including employees, other residents and volunteers. If something does happen in one of those locations, it's often much more easily spotted and much more quickly reported.
When it comes to hiring an in-home caregiver, he recommends using an established company.
“If you do go the route of hiring someone on your own or maybe placing an ad in a newspaper or somewhere to find someone to take care of your loved one at home, it's important to do a background check, specifically a criminal background check. You will want to get several references and follow up on those references. Those things can help give you a little peace of mind as you get to know this new caregiver for your loved one,” Matson explained.
He stressed to importance of reporting abuse or neglect to local authorities.
Alabama prosecutors say they are seeing more elder abuse cases because the number of people 60 and over in Alabama and across the nation continues to increase and because of new statutes geared at fighting crimes against the elderly.
In Autauga County, Sanders says around five cases of elder abuse have been prosecuted this year. In early 2016, a high profile elder abuse case is set to go to trial involving Glen Glassmeyer, who police and prosecutors say conned a Prattville woman in her 80s out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. According to authorities, Glassmeyer weaseled his way into the victim’s life acting as a caretaker and they formed a relationship. He later gained power of attorney, putting his name on her accounts and transferring money into them, Assistant Chief Diane Hamm revealed after his arrest. He also allegedly made different purchases and was trying to get the victim to buy him a house. Glassmeyer even married the victim.
Last week, an Alabama woman who admitted to stealing an elderly dementia patient's identity and using it to steal her money was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison.
Shostocka Keya Ward, 43, stole more than $300,000 from the victim's bank and credit accounts when Ward worked at a senior citizens living center in Hoover.
According to Ward's guilty plea, she wrote more than $70,000 in unauthorized checks to herself and used the victim's credit cards to finance her wedding, someone's prison account, private school tuition payments and trips.
The Montgomery County District Attorney's Office has prosecuted eight cases this year where defendants were charged with financial exploitation of an elderly person and one case of elderly physical abuse. Another 8-10 are in varying stages in the criminal process. A majority of the financial cases have involved in-home caregivers, either family or contract.
Seth Gowan, Deputy District Attorney with Alabama's 15th Judicial Circuit and and member of the Montgomery County Elder Justice Task Force, says the number of complaints of elder financial exploitation per year has steadily increased since the Protecting Alabama’s Elders Act was passed. He added that the aging population, as well as the public awareness effort by the District Attorney's Office and the Montgomery County Elder Justice Task Force partners, and the training law enforcement and prosecutors have received regarding the new law have resulted in more focused attention.
Task force officials suggest that when it comes to using businesses and services that provide in-home health care assistance to seniors, you should ask about the employees being paid through the business, not directly by the senior and/or family.
"Regardless, you need to make sure the person has been vetted as much as possible, having good references and work history," Gowan added.
Other tips and things to look for include:
- The caregiver should never be allowed to become familiar or know about senior's financial affairs, ie., where the checkbook is, credit, debit cards, etc.
- Always be cautious and guarded with financial information and personal identifying information such as date of birth and social security number.
- If the caregiver is asking for extra money, to borrow money or help paying bills, these can be red flags and opportunities for the elderly person to quickly become a victim.
Contact the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office at 832-2550 or the One Place Family Justice Center at 262-7378 with any questions or concerns.
There are other agencies that can assist seniors and/or their family including:
- Central Alabama Aging Consortium, 240-4666
- Montgomery Area Council on Aging, 263-0352
- DHR Adult Protective Services, 293-3100
- Alabama Department of Senior Services, 877-425-2243
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