A woman, Stephanie White, who managed a retirement home, has been sentenced to jail for defrauding an 88-year-old woman of over £20,000. White, labeled as a deceitful individual by investigators, convinced the elderly victim that she was assisting with bill payments but instead embezzled the funds by writing checks to herself. The scam was uncovered when the victim fell ill and was hospitalized.

White, aged 58, was found guilty of stealing a total of £21,697.79 from April 2022 to October 2023. Evidence including bank statements and handwritten notes related to White’s beauty business on the side was discovered by the victim’s family, indicating the diversion of some of the misappropriated money.

Despite being a trusted manager at the retirement home, White initially denied any wrongdoing, attributing the money as a gift, loan, or reimbursement for services rendered. Eventually, White admitted to committing fraud by exploiting her position of trust before the case went to trial.

The victim’s family expressed deep distress, stating that their relative felt violated, manipulated, and betrayed by someone she had relied on for care. The stolen funds were the result of the elderly woman and her late husband’s years of hard work, meant to ensure their retirement security and comfort. The family highlighted the lasting anxiety and fear experienced by the victim and the profound impact on their entire family.

They concluded by emphasizing the breach of trust, noting that vulnerable elderly individuals should never be subjected to such mistreatment. White was handed a sentence of two years and ten months for her crimes.