Woman convicted of stealing from elderly San Mateo man fit to appear before judge
By Jessica Bernstein-Wax
Bay Area News Group
10/09/2008
A judge has ruled that a woman who allegedly swindled $140,000 from an elderly San Mateo man is competent to appear in court for an alleged probation violation.
Authorities extradited 44-year-old Gina Costello from Florida in June because she allegedly failed to complete her jail sentence and a counseling program. She also did not keep in touch with her probation officer, San Mateo County Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said.
San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Clifford Cretan scheduled a probation violation conference for Oct. 21 after reviewing two doctors' reports and determining Costello was fit to appear, Wagstaffe said. He added that Costello faces up to six years in prison if a judge determines she violated her probation.
In 2007, a judge sentenced Costello to three years probation and one year in jail on elder fiscal abuse and theft charges for allegedly tricking an 81-year-old man living in an assisted living facility into giving her the cash.
Wagstaffe said Costello told the man she was a friend of his deceased wife and needed the money for cancer treatments.
"Eighty-one-year-old people are very trusting and very much in the mood of wanting to help,'' Wagstaffe said. ''Gina must be a slick talker.''
Costello¹s attorney Paula Canny could not be reached for comment Thursday. . Costello is being held without bail.
SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News CA, USA
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