Home care workers indicted in theft

A federal grand jury in Arizona returned with a 72-count indictment charging two women with an eldercare fraud scheme that allegedly took more than $180,000 from a homebound 91year-old victim.

On Oct. 31, the indictment charged Mona Lisa Rodriguez, 36, and Margaret Arlene Gastelum, 59, with conspiracy, bank fraud, aggravated identity theft and wire fraud, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona said in a statement. The indictment alleges the two women provided home care assistance for the victim from 2015 to 2017, the statement said.

Gastelum, of San Manuel, and Rodriguez, of Tucson, are accused of gaining access to the victim’s banking information and fraudulently transferring and using funds from the victim’s account.

The two defendants also are accused of obtaining the victim’s credit cards without the victim’s knowledge and fraudulently using those cards, the U.S. Attorney said.

Additionally, the indictment alleges the defendants overcharged the victim for their services without the victim’s knowledge. Gastelum and Rodriguez’s alleged scheme to defraud left the victim with a loss of about $184,000, authorities said.

The U.S. Secret Service and the Tucson Police Department pursued the investigation, and the prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Wallace Kleindienst for the U.S. Attorney’s office, District of Arizona, in Tucson.

No defense attorney information is listed in the online court record for the defendants.

According to the press release, maximum penalties for conviction are:

❚ Bank fraud: 30 years in prison, a $1,000,000 fine or both.

❚ Wire fraud: 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both.

❚ Conspiracy: 5 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both.

❚ Aggravated identity theft: 2 years in prison and must be served consecutively to the ultimate sentence imposed relating to the other charges in this case.

Arraignment for Gastelum and Rodriguez is scheduled for Nov. 16.