Woman Gets 43 Years for Defrauding 86 Seniors

Woman gets 43 years for defrauding 86 seniors out of thousands of dollars
October 20, 2012
 By: Kimathi Lewis

A woman pretending to be a Georgia Power Company employee defrauded 86 DeKalb County residents out of thousands of dollars — and almost all her victims were more than 65 years old.
A Superior Court judge on Friday sentenced Ms. Santee Roberts to 43 years in prison after she was found guilty of racketeering, identity fraud, financial transaction fraud and elder exploitation, according to the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office.
Ms. Roberts identified herself as a Georgia Power representative to the residents in order to obtain their personal information, prosecutors said.
“The defendants purchased a cell phone and registered it under the alias ‘Georgia Powers’ and began targeting seniors,” District Attorney Mr. Robert James said.
“When a victim would check the caller ID, it would read similar to the local power company. The defendants would then demand payment for utility services and threaten to interrupt power services if the victim would not immediately comply.”
Fearful of losing their electricity, the residents provided credit card numbers and personal information, which the defendants used to purchase various items including electronics, cash advances and gift cards, Mr. James said.
But as it turned out, Ms. Roberts was never employed by Georgia Power.
“This sentence sends a strong message to those who prey upon our seniors and scam our residents,” Mr. James said.

SOURCE:       The Examiner
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