Ohio Elder Abuse

Examples of Ohio Elder Abuse

Preying on the Elderly

The police and prosecutors are critical allies in elder abuse

In order to steal from an elderly person, the local police department is the key to allowing the thief to get away with the thefts. If the police, prosecutors and courts won't attempt a prosecution on the basis that the thief did not know the elderly person was incompetent, then the police and prosecutors become the thief's best friends.

Example one - John

John is 92 and sharp as a tack. He has a large family and they all love him. John is genuinely fun to be around. His stories, and he does have stories, are of the type you listen to. They are from someone who witnessed the event with his own eyes and you are getting a true insight on times gone by.

John has one flaw. He likes the “hotties”. And the hotties like him. John fails to see that the hotties are using him. He doesn't see the tracks on their arms. He doesn't see past their fabrications regarding their poverty and need. John wants to help them. He wants to give them his money. It is his, after all! He worked for it. He invested it. He saw those investments grow to be a significant amount of money.

Over the years, this hottie and that hottie came to John's home and relieved him of what property he had. John didn't really care. Those things had served their purpose. After the property was gone, the hotties began to describe truly horrible lives to John. This hottie has terrible medical bills. John could help. That hottie had an autistic son who has significant needs. John could help.

The bank started to worry about what was happening. Ninety-two year old John was soon arriving numerous times a week in the company of a thirty-two year old who appeared to be a heroin addicted hooker. John was spending down his entire monthly payments of social security and pension. His investment banker raised a flag when he began withdrawing money to the tune of $8000.00 a month. Both began asking the family to look into what was happening.

No one in the family could stop John. The court appointed a guardian over John. It was found that between January and September John gave away close to $74,000.00 of his estate.

A police report to one of the largest police agencies in Ohio was mostly ignored. Nothing could be done because John voluntarily gave that money away. Were the girls manipulating him? Absolutely! Did they know he was incompetent? Absolutely!

Those who prey on the elderly know that the police will allow them this one theft. They get one free bite of the apple. If they can find an incompetent elderly person, gain their confidence and steal from them, they will get away with it that one time. It is critical to those thieves that they maximize this one opportunity.

Example two - John, part II

Once the guardian can gain control over the elderly person's funds, the thief's game is not over.

Crack or heroin addicted prostitutes are notoriously hard to find. Unless the police -- the same police officers above -- the ones who don't want to take action -- if the thief does not get advised that the elderly person is incompetent, then the thieves have one more trick up their sleeves.

John, living happily and comfortably in his own home, is invited out by one of his "hotties". Shopping at Target, they tell a sad story about needing money for medical bills for the poor, sick child. They ask if John could open a credit card account. The Target employee makes no check to determine if John is competent, happily gives him his new credit card and John happily turns that card over to the crack or heroin addicted prostitute thief.

The crack or heroin addicted prostitute has one more trick up her sleeve: She takes John to a corner loan location and he happily gets a few hundred dollar loan for his "hottie".

Again, the police and prosecutors act as accomplice as they continue to allow this to happen. Not motivated by a potential arrest, the cops drop the case. The crack or heroin addicted prostitutes just need to keep away from the cops and they can try again later.

Example three -- A dedicated caregiver

Sam really likes his home health care aid. He likes her so much that he doesn't understand all that she is doing.

She begins adding her own groceries to the order Sam needs. After a while, the caregiver is buying all her groceries on Sam's tab.
She moves on to paying for her gasoline.
She adds the cost of her snowplowing to the bill Sam is paying to keep his own property snow free.
She adds the cost of her yard maintenance to the bill Sam is paying to keep his own property maintained.
She tricks Sam into signing his car over into her name.

Sam dies.

Sam's children take a look at his estate and find this thief of a caregiver has bilked the estate out of every last cent.

A call to the police and the prosecutor is predictable. They don't want to be involved. Again, the police and prosecutors are important in allowing elder abuse.