Caregiver Sentenced to Prison for Stealing From Disabled Men

 Posted on February 02,2013 in White collar crime

The Chicago Tribune is reporting that a former house manager at Cupertino House, an assisted –living facility for disabled men, pled guilty to financial exploitation of a disabled person and received a sentence of 40 months in prison. The men were reimbursed for their financial losses through the facility’s insurance policy, and as part of her sentence, the former facility employee was ordered to repay the funds to the insurance policy. With expected time cuts, the woman could serve as little as 18 months in prison. The woman had no criminal history prior to this case.

A 37-year-old divorced and mother of three pled guilty last year to taking almost $9,000 from the facility’s five male residents through a series of bank card withdrawals. She blamed her actions on financial troubles that she had been experiencing at the time. The woman had worked at the facility for 12 years, caring for and teaching everyday living skills to the men living at the facility, all of whom have the approximate functional capacity of a 10-year-old.

As this case illustrates, even people with no previous criminal history or convictions are subject to stiff sentences if the crime is sufficiently severe under Illinois law. Although the woman in this case had never served jail time before, she is now facing a lengthy period of incarceration.

With so much at stake in a criminal case, a strong defense from the very outset of any criminal charges is essential to achieving the best outcome possible. By enlisting the assistance of an experienced Chicagoland criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible following your arrest, you will have a much greater chance of minimizing potentially serious consequences to you and your family.