-Attorney Newsletter-
In Marin County a former caregiver received swift justice for the crime of felony elder theft. On November 13, Tiburon police arrested a sixty-year-old Vallejo woman, Warnetta Moss Geeston, a former elder caregiver, who embezzled $10,000 from her ninety-four-year-old Tiburon client’s bank account over the course of three months. On January 24, Ms. Geeston received a sentence of thirty days in jail. Judge Andrew Sweet has ordered Ms.Geeston to pay restitution and begin serving her jail time. He has also barred her from seeking employment in the elder care field.
Geeston was convicted of felony elder theft for deceiving her elderly client by telling the elder that certain checks had to be re-written because the checks had the wrong amounts. According to prosecuting attorney Geoff Iida, Ms. Geeston attempted to avoid responsibility for the crime at the pre-sentencing, indicating that the elderly client was to blame until Iida reminded Geeston that he had copies of each check.
Since her arrest, she has been unable to find a job. Ms.Geeston’s attorney has requested that the court allow Geeston to seek work in her previous occupation of financial record keeping. The probation department must approve the request.
Ms. Geeston will ask the court to allow her to wear an electronic monitoring device in lieu of serving her jail sentence, which is due to begin on March 21.
While police and courts are acting quickly to curb crimes against the elderly, they can help only if someone reports elder abuse. Statistics show that the majority of cases are unreported. As the population ages it is increasingly important to be well informed about the warning signs of elder financial abuse
The National Center on Elder Abuse provides assistance to those concerned about elder abuse, be it nursing home neglect, financial exploitation, caregiver fraud or physical neglect and abuse.
Take steps to protect yourself and your loved ones by seeking legal advice from a qualified attorney who specializes in cases involving the elder abuse.
The Evans Law Firm represents victims of elder abuse in California. If you or a loved one has been the victim of financial exploitation, contact The Evans Law Firm for a free and confidential consultation at 415-441-8669 or e-mail info@evanslaw.com. Visit our website at www.evanslaw.com
