Couple accused of stealing over $100K from elderly relative

Police say 92-year-old woman was removed from their care after signs of abuse, neglect

A White Plains woman and her husband are facing charges of theft of over $100,000 and elder abuse after allegedly stealing from the woman’s elderly aunt, who was in their care, and failing to provide her medication or treatment for her medical conditions.

Jacqueline and Richard Francisco have been charged with theft and attempted theft of over $100,000, obtaining property in excess of $100,000 from a vulnerable adult, and vulnerable adult abuse by a family member. The couple was served a summons on Aug. 4 and is scheduled to appear before a preliminary inquiry hearing on Sept. 5 in Charles County District Court, according to online court records.

According to the charging documents filed by Charles County Sheriff’s Office Det. Elizabeth Clark, she was

contacted in December 2016 by a Las Vegas resident who feared her elderly aunt, aged 92, was being financially taken advantage of.

The caller said the victim had left Las Vegas to

live with her niece, Jacqueline Francisco, and her husband Robert in 2014. At that time, the victim had more than $173,078 in her account, with monthly deposits of more than $5,000 from the Social Security Administration and Veterans Affairs.

The caller said she visited the victim and found

her to be in poor health.

In November 2016, the victim was removed from the Franciscos’ residence and admitted to the University of Maryland Charles Regional Medical Center for possible neglect. According to the medical report, it appeared the victim had suffered a stroke, for which she had not been treated, and based on her blood work, it appeared she had not received her thyroid medication in two years. The victim had also lost approximately 50 pounds in two years.

The detective reportedly found that in 2016, numerous bank transfers had been made from the victim’s account to Jacqueline Francisco’s account and to a joint account shared by the victim and Jacqueline Francisco.

A number of checks were also allegedly written out from the victim’s account and deposited in the Franciscos’ account or used to pay Jacqueline Francisco’s credit card, which was used to purchase clothing, holsters, chrome skull motorcycle gear shifts, tires, toys and other items, with Richard Francisco listed on the billing.

Even after the victim was removed from the home, the Franciscos continued to transfer money out of the victim’s account, according to the court records.