Caregiver accused of stealing from 90-year-old

Posted by ChaddsFordLive on December 17, 2015

A Nether Providence woman hired as a companion for a 90-year-old resident of an assisted living facility is accused of stealing more than $10,000 from her, said Delaware County District Attorney Jack Whelan.

Marianne Smith, 53, has been charged with theft by unlawful taking or disposition, receiving stolen property, theft by deception and false impression. The arrest follows an investigation conducted by Det. Edward Kazlo of the Delaware County Criminal Investigation Division Senior Exploitation Unit, said a press release from the district attorney’s office.

The investigation began after the Nether Providence Police Department alerted Kazlo about a possible theft, stemming from Smith’s four-year tenure as a companion for the 90-year-old resident of the Plush Mills Senior Living Facility in Wallingford.

In May, Smith was given the victim’s debit card and PIN number by Rosemary Lavin, who had power of attorney, to pay Smith and purchase items for the victim, Tina Fright, on an as-needed basis.

Between May and July of this year, Lavin noticed $10,000 had been withdrawn from Fright’s account. Concerned about the spending, Lavin asked for the debit card to be returned, but Smith ignored the request and continued to make withdrawals, the release said.

On Aug. 2, Lavin cancelled the card and terminated Smith’s employment. During an interview, Smith told detectives that Fright had asked her to take money to repair her car, put new windows on her house, repair her porch, and take her family on vacation.

On Oct. 30, detectives interviewed Fright and asked whether she had authorized those purchases and she said no. “I may be up in age, but I’m not naïve,” she reportedly responded, the release said.

“Our seniors deserve to enjoy their retirement and hard-earned money without the fear of being victimized,” District Attorney Jack Whelan said in the release. “Marianne Smith stole that liberty, betraying the trust of the person she was hired to look after, stealing the victim’s money for her own leisure.”

Smith was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Deborah A Krull and released on $10,000 unsecured bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Dec. 21 at 8 a.m., according to court records.