91-year-old bedridden woman has $25,000 stolen by caretaker hired on Facebook, feds say

A woman stole nearly $25,000 from a 91-year-old woman who was in hospice care for health-related issues, federal authorities say.

Now, the 71-year-old woman, who was hired off Facebook to care for the bedridden woman, is going to prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas.

Prosecutors said in a Nov. 5 news release the caretaker was sentenced to eight months in prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud. The case was centered in Hardin County and an FBI investigation began in May 2023, federal authorities said.

McClatchy News reached out to an attorney representing the caretaker but did not immediately hear back Nov. 7.

She began working for the woman in October 2022 and was tasked with “assisting her with her daily personal needs,” according to an indictment. The caretaker was given the victim’s debit card to pay bills and purchase groceries.

Instead, she used the debit card to make four unauthorized withdrawals at a casino in Louisiana, prosecutors said. She is also accused of making unauthorized withdrawals at stores in the area, according to a news release.

The 71-year-old woman withdrew $24,887 from the woman’s account from November 2022 through April 2023, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said the caretaker was ordered to pay back the money in restitution. She was placed in federal prison.

Hardin County is about a 95-mile drive northeast from Houston.

This story was originally published November 7, 2024 at 2:25 PM.