attorney in pa who embezzled funds from guardianship accounts

Who is the guardian of a guardianship account?

Oct 21, 2019 · Three former court-appointed guardians are charged with embezzling more than $1 million from 108 victims in six Pennsylvania counties, using a shell company and a church to launder the stolen money, Delaware County authorities said Monday. One of the former guardians, Gloria Byars, 58, of Aldan, the focus of a March 2018 Inquirer investigation, had been …

Can a guardian of a bank account appoint a beneficiary?

Feb 07, 2014 · Halle Stockton February 7, 2014. November 19, 2020. Share this: The Social Security Administration is investigating the alleged embezzlement of funds from a Cambria County guardianship agency, which handles the finances of incapacitated people under its care. According to a source close to the matter, more than a quarter of a million dollars has been …

How do I Close a bank account with a guardianship?

Oct 23, 2014 · Some clients of PA guardianship agency are being repaid. When Joe Stigers of Johnstown took over as legal guardian for his wife in 2013, he realized that more than $7,200 in Social Security disability payments was missing from her account. A reimbursement check for $4,446 came in the mail in early October, he said.

What happens to a guardian account when the guardian dies?

Feb 04, 2014 · The Social Security Administration is investigating the alleged embezzlement of funds from a Cambria County guardianship agency, which handles the finances of incapacitated people under its care. According to a source close to the matter, more than a quarter of a million dollars has been bilked from the accounts of several dozen wards.

How long was Byars in jail?

She pleaded guilty in October 2005 and was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $29,503 in restitution.

Who is Gloria Byars?

One of the former guardians, Gloria Byars, 58, of Aldan, Delaware County, was the focus of a March 2018 Inquirer investigation. Gloria Byars, left, her sister Carolyn Collins (on steps, in back) and Keith Collins (on steps above his wife) walk out of the district court in Havertown, Pa., on Monday, Oct. 21, 2019, after bail hearings.

What county is Distinctive Human Services located in?

Distinctive Human Services, a guardianship agency, is located in Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa. The agency serves as legal guardian to wards primarily in Cambria, Blair and Somerset counties. (Graphic by Alexandra Kanik / PublicSource)

Who is Norma Carpenter?

Norma Carpenter, a nurse and school board member, visited her 82-year-old mother regularly at a personal care home in Indiana County. The two would walk hand in hand through the home, stopping to hug each other. Then, in October 2012, Norma was banned from visiting or calling her mother, Mary Little, who has dementia.

What counties does DHS cover?

DHS primarily serves as legal guardian to wards in the counties of Cambria, Blair and Somerset , Hamilton said in a July interview. At that time, DHS was overseeing the care of between 140 and 150 wards in multiple Western Pennsylvania counties, she said.

Can my sister go to jail for abusing a power of attorney?

Serious abuses generally involve state and/or federal crimes of embezzlement, theft, identity theft, fraud or forgery, but it is unlikely that your sister will face jail time, as your parent is unlikely to press charges against their child.

What can I do if my sister is abusing a power of attorney?

Although your parent can revoke the power of attorney that your sister is abusing and can sue your sister to get the money back, they are often too old and frail and don’t have the will power or sometimes even the mental capacity to bring a lawsuit.

Can a child open a bank account?

Children are not legally allowed to open a bank account or manage their own money in an account. Sometimes a parent or guardian might jointly open an account for a child to save money for college or to just help to teach the child about saving.

Do adults have to have a guardian?

Sometimes adults do not have the physical or mental capacity to manage their finances and a guardian needs to be appointed. As with children, the guardian does not gain any ownership of the person’s finances, they just manage the account.