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Caregiver accused of bilking money
TweetBy Denise Dick
The woman is accused of taking more than $40,000 from the disabled victim.
BOARDMAN — A 42-year-old Youngstown woman faces several charges, accused of using the bank card of a disabled man for whom she was a caregiver to withdraw and pocket his money.
Shelly Mastropietro of Cambridge Avenue was charged with misuse of a credit card, forgery and two counts of receiving stolen property. Township police arrested her Wednesday and she was released upon posting bond at the Mahoning County Jail.
Detective Ben Switka said Mastropietro was a caregiver for a 55-year-old township man who is disabled. She is accused of using his Visa debit card to withdraw money in increments of $300 from the man’s account. The woman had the man’s personal identification number because she would take him to the ATM machine and withdraw money for him.
“He would usually take out $80 or $100,” Switka said. “She took out $300, gave him $80 or $100 and kept the rest.”
Most of the time, however, she withdrew the money on her own, then returned the ATM Visa card without the man’s knowledge.
Mastropietro also is accused of taking two checks from the victim, writing them out to cash and cashing them.
Police believe she took more than $40,000 from the victim.
A woman who answered the phone Wednesday afternoon at the man’s home said he declined to comment.
Switka said that Mastropietro is one of people who provided round-the-clock care for the man through a home health care company.
Mastropietro worked during the day and would retrieve the man’s mail. When a bank statement would arrive, she would take it so the man wouldn’t see the withdrawals and other unauthorized activity, the detective said.
The bank, Farmers, contacted the victim, alerting him to the unusual activity and he contacted police. Sept. 2.
Switka interviewed Mastropietro on Wednesday.
“She gave an admission,” the detective said.
The bank initially said the withdrawals began in October 2007, but Switka said he found $300 withdrawals dating to January 2007 that the man says he didn’t make.
Comments
Unfortunately, this happens much more than we ever hear about it. It happen to my grandmother years ago after her house caught fire and her husband was diagnosed with terminal cancer. A 'girl' came into their home to care for him while he was bedridden and heavily drugged. The company was costly to my grandparents so, the girl offered to work 'privately'. It was a deal to my grandma...
And a STEAL for Kelly Casey.
Can you imagine the violation my grandma felt when she walked into the bank to pay on a Security Deposit Box to find thousands of dollars gone? We were blessed with never having to explain this to her husband who died shortly after the discovery.
Prosecutors took the case and we never found out what happened to the thief. Did she get to keep the car she bought with my grandma's money? The furniture in her Poland home?
Be aware of those taking care of your loved ones. Question EVERYTHING! If you're a neighbor, BE NOSEY!!!
...and I am sure as she pulled away from the ATM you could hear her say aloud, "Ted Arnaut (Mountaineer) here I come".
and at a local lounge, "A round of Keno for everyone at the bar on me"!!!!! Just another piece of..... preying on hard-working, money-saving citizens in this community. Do I get a "Second" on a motion to chop off her right hand at the wrist?
This unfortunately is not uncommon. When I interviewed for my first private duty nursing job the wife of the man that interviewed me initially decided to ire someone else.... 3 months later I get a call and a job offer taking care of a bedridden, completely paralyzed man. How did I get this job... because the person they chose over me was caught smoking pot, stealing meds and credit cards from the patient!! Did I mention this man was on a ventilator? Ultimately after 7 years as a CNA and 5 as a nurse I permanantly retired from nursing, not because of the hard work, the discontent patients, but because of the vile humans that prey on the ill and weak in this profession. Next time you wonder why there is a critical shortage of nurses across the country remember this story. And before anyone flips, I did not say all are vile humans, some and that's more than acceptable.