NJ Woman Accused Of Abusing POA To Steal Nursing Home-Bound Mom's Monthly Social Security, Pension Payments & Stiffing Care Facility

From the Office of the New Jersey Attorney General:

• Attorney General Anne Milgram and Division of Criminal Justice Director Deborah L. Gramiccioni announced that a Toms River woman has been indicted for allegedly stealing monies that her mother received from Social Security and a pension plan. [...] Laura Lembo, 46, of Toms River, was charged [...] with third-degree theft by unlawful taking or disposition.

• The Ocean County grand jury indictment alleges that [...] Lembo exercised unlawful control of the property of her 80 year-old mother, a Medicaid recipient. An investigation determined that Lembo, who had power of attorney over her mother’s income – including her monthly Social Security and pension checks – allegedly failed to remit all of her mother’s income to the nursing care facility in which her mother resided. As a condition of continued Medicaid eligibility, this income, minus a small personal needs allowance, must be paid to the facility to partially cover the cost of the mother’s ongoing care. The investigation revealed that during the time in question, this income was $40,052.88 but, of this amount, Lembo allegedly paid the facility only $21,233.13 and kept the remainder for her own use.

For the NJ AG press release, see Toms River Woman Charged With Theft for Diverting Part of Her Mother’s Social Security And Pension Income.