A Florida woman has been sentenced in a case where she duped a senior couple, that she was providing care for, out of nearly $300,000.
52-year-old Sherri Lynn Smith has been sentenced to 51 months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release for stealing nearly $300,000 from two seniors by accessing their bank accounts while employed as their caretaker.
From 2016 to 2019, Smith worked as a caretaker for an elderly couple in Broward County. As part of her duties, Smith had access to the victims’ bank accounts to assist them with paying their monthly bills.
Smith used her access to the victims’ finances to embezzle approximately $300,000 out of the victims’ accounts without their knowledge or consent.
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She accomplished this by writing and forging the victim’s signature on checks made payable to herself, her family members, and her creditors; initiating Zelle electronic money transfers from the victims’ accounts to her own bank account; and making electronic payments from the victims’ accounts to her and her husband’s numerous credit card accounts.
In addition to sentencing Smith to prison and supervised release terms, the judge entered a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $288,865.92 and ordered Smith to pay $168,895.92 in restitution.
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