PLANTATION, Fla. — A senior in declining health was riding out his golden years in a home he owned in Plantation, but he needed assistance, so his family tapped a home health care worker for his day-to-day needs.
But investigators say she used her position to befriend the victim in an organized scheme to steal his assets, including his house valued at $1.1 million.
5 p.m. report:
“What makes me the most angry about this case is the victim was as vulnerable as they come,” said Broward County Property Appraiser Marty Kiar. “He was a senior, he was hurt and was supposed to be protected, but the person that was supposed to be protecting him was the one that was charged with defrauding him and that really was very sad to me.”
The caretaker, identified as Lillian Morris, has since been arrested for the crime following a nearly yearlong investigation by the Broward Property Appraiser’s office and the Broward Sheriff’s Office.
According to an arrest report, Morris, 78, of Lauderhill, “began to stay overnight at the victim’s home... and was present at his residence at hours she was not scheduled for.”
Over the course of two years, Morris is accused of gaining access to the victim’s bank accounts, depleting his six-figure life savings and withdrawing $80,000 from another account.
The arrest affidavit says, “she used his savings to buy things for her own benefit and travel abroad, causing him to lose almost his entire net worth.”
Morris appeared in court on Tuesday on the criminal charges.
Detectives believe she eventually obtained a durable power of attorney over the victim’s affairs, even though he was not in the right state of mind.
Reversing the damage or recovering the lost money will be an uphill battle.
“It’s my understanding that he’s in an assisted living facility at this time,” said Kiar. “I know it was very difficult on him and the process was very difficult on this family.”
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