Woman charged in another elder abuse case
Genesee County Sheriff Robert Pickell says Mary Jo Davis had been her brother's guardian since he suffered a stroke nearly 10 years ago.It's another case handled by the county's Elder Abuse and Exploitation Prevention Team. And Pickell say it is the largest to date.
Davis was charged in court Wednesday. She faces 35 counts including embezzlement, fraud and then first-degree vulnerable adult abuse, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
"The real hero in this case is the alleged victim's family physician," Pickell said.
Pickell says the doctor felt his patient, a 78-year-old Davison paraplegic with dementia and hypertension, was being taken advantage of.
Thousands of pieces of paper will help prove it, Pickell says. He says they're evidence of embezzlement and mistreatment.
"She's refused to follow doctor's instructions regarding his care," said Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton. "She has written checks to people totally unrelated to his care."
Investigators allege Davis spent some of the money on court costs for a man charged with third-degree criminal sexual conduct, her home repairs, new appliances and other items from Home Depot.
She also spent money on two vehicles and even a race car shop.
"Tthis guy had $700,000 we can't find. We're trying to find if the money wasn't either stashed somewhere or invested somewhere," Pickell said.
"That's a staggering amount of money. This thing, we think, could be as high as $1.4 million when we finish the investigation and we're still looking at maybe a few more possible defendants in this case."
Along with Davis, two others have already been charged -- another relative and a privately hired home health care worker.
(Copyright ©2009 WJRT-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
SOURCE: ABCLOCAL.GO.COM
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