Caretaker Pinched In Alleged $400K Ripoff Of Now-Deceased Dementia Patient; Loot Included Proceeds From Reverse Mortgage Loan On Victim's Home

In Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports:

• A 55-year-old Lauderhill woman was charged with grand theft and elderly exploitation, on Wednesday, and accused of stealing an estimated $400,000 from the Deerfield Beach woman she was paid to care for, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office.
  
  Lorna Mulgrave was a home health care aide for Jean Barbara between March 2007 and March 2010 when Barbara died at the age of 93, investigators said.
  
  Barbara's grandson, Russell Markowitz, had hired Mulgrave temporarily to care for Barbara after a fall in 2006 that required 12 stitches to Barbara's knee. But, the doctor diagnosed Barbara with dementia and said she needed 24-hour care and could no longer drive, medical records showed.
  
  Markowitz arranged to pay Mulgrave $500 per week to care for Barbara. The arrangement worked for about eight months until Markowitz and his family traveled from New Jersey to Deerfield Beach for a visit. He found several cancellation notices for the electric bill and insurance coverage, according to the arrest report.

***

• Bank of America records revealed Mulgrave opened a joint account with Barbara in July 2007 without telling Markowitz. He later told detectives hundreds of thousands of dollars were funneled through the account without his knowledge.
  
  In addition to the $500 payments she received, Mulgrave paid herself an extra $157,000 over the three years she cared for Barbara. Records showed Mulgrave also gave money to her daughter Sherika Jackson and her son-in-law Shane Jackson.

***

• Markowitz said thousands worth of gold and diamond jewelry, including his grandmother's engagement and wedding rings, were missing. Her credit cards were maxed out at $30,000 as well, he said.
  
  Mulgrave also is accused of cashing out Barbara's $170,000 worth of Certificates of Deposit, despite early withdrawal penalties. She also managed to get a reverse mortgage for the house that Barbara owned outright for 30 years. Mulgrave burned through an estimated $148,000 within six months, investigators said.
  
  Barbara died thousands of dollars in debt, Markowitz said.

For the story, see Caretaker accused of stealing from elderly client (Lorna Mulgrave, 55, watched over Jean Barbara, 93).