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Caregiver set to plead in elderly theft
YOUNGSTOWN
A former in-home caregiver is expected to plead guilty in September to taking Social Security and veterans benefits payments and credit from her elderly client as well as forging her checks.
Ruth A. Jordan, 49, of Richmond Avenue, Newton Falls, faces felony counts of theft and forgery in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court. Her theft indictment was initially a charge of theft from an elderly person.
This case is not unique. According to Austintown police, cases of exploitation against the elderly are on the rise.
Julie Grohovsky of Columbus, the alleged victim’s daughter, said her family hired a caregiver for her mother after she broke her hip more than two years ago, while living in Austintown.
What started as a balance of about $50 on her mother’s credit card ballooned to thousands of dollars. Jordan later admitted to investigators she would skim at least $100 in cash each time Grohovsky’s mother withdrew from an ATM. Checks were paid to utility companies for Jordan’s residence, according to the charges.
Grohovsky said she developed suspicions and reviewed her mother’s credit card statements. Jordan purportedly spent much of her mother’s money online, ordering iguanas or goods for raising them — eggs to feed them, terrariums, leashes or humidifiers — and delivered them to her home, Grohovsky said.
“My mom doesn’t use a computer or a smartphone,” she said. “I knew they weren’t her purchases.”
Grohovsky said her mother’s bank didn’t send a fraud alert, and she’s still fighting the fake charges.
Grohovsky said her mother was, at first, embarrassed by being taken advantage of – a common reason elder exploitation often goes unreported, police said. Compounding that is a fear their relatives could take away their agency.
“It was very hard to convince my mom to do anything about it,” Grohovsky said. “She thought they were friends. They went and did things together.”
Austintown Detective Jordan Yacovone, who investigated the case, said cases of elder exploitation are on the rise. The majority of theft schemes or scams target single or widowed women, he said.
“Our seniors today were born in the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s – the times were much different back then when they were raised to be a lot more trusting, to be a lot more polite,” he said.
He recommended those relying on agencies to hire caregivers for their elders to research them first. Private agencies aren’t obligated to do background checks, but reputable ones will.
Relatives can also pull their elders’ credit reports from the three main credit bureaus — Experian, TransUnion and Equifax – for free once per year, to examine for fraudulent charges.
“You knew your mom loved to collect gold necklaces? Take pictures of what she has,” Yacovone said. “Make sure you know what they have in the house that’s valuable.”
Jordan is set for a plea and sentencing hearing Sept. 6 before county Judge John Durkin, according to court records.
Grohovsky said prosecutors’ initial deal didn’t seek jail time, but Grohovsky said she believes Jordan should serve time.
Jordan was terminated from her caregiver employer after the alleged misconduct was reported, Grohovsky said. Though that employer performed a background check before hiring Jordan, it came back clean, she noted.
“Even though you pay more through a company, you have peace of mind [that] the criminal background check’s been done,” Grohovsky said. “It is hard to have a personal relationship and be good to someone that works for you and also keep an eye on what’s happening.”