The former caretaker for a 93-year-old retired Springfield physician has been convicted of taking hundreds of thousands of dollars from the woman.
Sandra Gayle, 65, of Springfield was convicted of financial exploitation of the elderly and financial exploitation of a person with a disability. A Sangamon County jury deliberated a little more than an hour Friday before returning the verdict.
Prosecutors introduced testimony over the course of the four-day trial to show that Gayle used her own family to gain the trust of the doctor. Gayle, who had the victim’s power of attorney, then “gifted” easily more than $300,000 from the doctor’s bank account to herself, relatives and friends, testimony indicated.
Gayle could receive from 4 to 15 years in prison when she is sentenced November 19 by Associate Judge John Mehlick. Her crimes also are probationable.
Assistant state’s attorney Jay Magnuson, who along with assistant state’s attorney Karen Tharp prosecuted the case, said both Gayle and the doctor told the doctor’s attorney in 2006 to issue a document to the doctor’s financial adviser to transfer money from the doctor’s account.
The money was to be used to pay off $71,000 in student debt owed by Gayle’s daughter, to set up $30,000 college funds for two of Gayle’s grandchildren and to provide $12,000 gifts to six of Gayle’s relatives.
Gayle also wrote $114,000 in checks to herself while she was receiving free room and board and being paid $1,344 a week to care for the doctor.
In March 2007, Gayle herself presented a document to the financial adviser calling for six more gifts to be made to friends and relatives, for more money to be put into college accounts and for a $525,000 reserve to be made available to Gayle.
The adviser contacted Senior Services of Central Illinois and the state Department of Aging. Ultimately, Springfield attorney Kevin McDermott was appointed the doctor’s guardian.
Magnuson said that after Gayle was removed from the doctor’s home and arrested, the doctor’s new nurse was asked to get the doctor’s financial records and put them on a table so the doctor could review them.
The nurse testified that, after a while, the doctor swept the records onto the floor with her forearm and began crying.
Gayle’s attorney, Jason Vincent, argued that Gayle was only doing what the victim wanted her to do. She had the approval of the doctor’s financial adviser, attorney and accountant, he said.
Gayle did not testify.
Magnuson said the Gayle case is the first financial exploitation of the elderly case to go to trial in Sangamon County in the 14 years he has been a prosecutor here. [rc]
Copyright © 2009 GateHouse Media, Inc.
September 25, 2009
USA: Former caretaker, 65, convicted of ripping off elderly woman, 93
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SPRINGFIELD, Illinois / The State Journal-Register / September 25, 2009
By Chris Dettro, The State Journal-Register
The former caretaker for a 93-year-old retired Springfield physician has been convicted of taking hundreds of thousands of dollars from the woman.
Sandra Gayle, 65, of Springfield was convicted of financial exploitation of the elderly and financial exploitation of a person with a disability. A Sangamon County jury deliberated a little more than an hour Friday before returning the verdict.
Prosecutors introduced testimony over the course of the four-day trial to show that Gayle used her own family to gain the trust of the doctor. Gayle, who had the victim’s power of attorney, then “gifted” easily more than $300,000 from the doctor’s bank account to herself, relatives and friends, testimony indicated.
Gayle could receive from 4 to 15 years in prison when she is sentenced November 19 by Associate Judge John Mehlick. Her crimes also are probationable.
Assistant state’s attorney Jay Magnuson, who along with assistant state’s attorney Karen Tharp prosecuted the case, said both Gayle and the doctor told the doctor’s attorney in 2006 to issue a document to the doctor’s financial adviser to transfer money from the doctor’s account.
The money was to be used to pay off $71,000 in student debt owed by Gayle’s daughter, to set up $30,000 college funds for two of Gayle’s grandchildren and to provide $12,000 gifts to six of Gayle’s relatives.
Gayle also wrote $114,000 in checks to herself while she was receiving free room and board and being paid $1,344 a week to care for the doctor.
In March 2007, Gayle herself presented a document to the financial adviser calling for six more gifts to be made to friends and relatives, for more money to be put into college accounts and for a $525,000 reserve to be made available to Gayle.
The adviser contacted Senior Services of Central Illinois and the state Department of Aging. Ultimately, Springfield attorney Kevin McDermott was appointed the doctor’s guardian.
Magnuson said that after Gayle was removed from the doctor’s home and arrested, the doctor’s new nurse was asked to get the doctor’s financial records and put them on a table so the doctor could review them.
The nurse testified that, after a while, the doctor swept the records onto the floor with her forearm and began crying.
Gayle’s attorney, Jason Vincent, argued that Gayle was only doing what the victim wanted her to do. She had the approval of the doctor’s financial adviser, attorney and accountant, he said.
Gayle did not testify.
Magnuson said the Gayle case is the first financial exploitation of the elderly case to go to trial in Sangamon County in the 14 years he has been a prosecutor here. [rc]
Copyright © 2009 GateHouse Media, Inc.
The former caretaker for a 93-year-old retired Springfield physician has been convicted of taking hundreds of thousands of dollars from the woman.
Sandra Gayle, 65, of Springfield was convicted of financial exploitation of the elderly and financial exploitation of a person with a disability. A Sangamon County jury deliberated a little more than an hour Friday before returning the verdict.
Prosecutors introduced testimony over the course of the four-day trial to show that Gayle used her own family to gain the trust of the doctor. Gayle, who had the victim’s power of attorney, then “gifted” easily more than $300,000 from the doctor’s bank account to herself, relatives and friends, testimony indicated.
Gayle could receive from 4 to 15 years in prison when she is sentenced November 19 by Associate Judge John Mehlick. Her crimes also are probationable.
Assistant state’s attorney Jay Magnuson, who along with assistant state’s attorney Karen Tharp prosecuted the case, said both Gayle and the doctor told the doctor’s attorney in 2006 to issue a document to the doctor’s financial adviser to transfer money from the doctor’s account.
The money was to be used to pay off $71,000 in student debt owed by Gayle’s daughter, to set up $30,000 college funds for two of Gayle’s grandchildren and to provide $12,000 gifts to six of Gayle’s relatives.
Gayle also wrote $114,000 in checks to herself while she was receiving free room and board and being paid $1,344 a week to care for the doctor.
In March 2007, Gayle herself presented a document to the financial adviser calling for six more gifts to be made to friends and relatives, for more money to be put into college accounts and for a $525,000 reserve to be made available to Gayle.
The adviser contacted Senior Services of Central Illinois and the state Department of Aging. Ultimately, Springfield attorney Kevin McDermott was appointed the doctor’s guardian.
Magnuson said that after Gayle was removed from the doctor’s home and arrested, the doctor’s new nurse was asked to get the doctor’s financial records and put them on a table so the doctor could review them.
The nurse testified that, after a while, the doctor swept the records onto the floor with her forearm and began crying.
Gayle’s attorney, Jason Vincent, argued that Gayle was only doing what the victim wanted her to do. She had the approval of the doctor’s financial adviser, attorney and accountant, he said.
Gayle did not testify.
Magnuson said the Gayle case is the first financial exploitation of the elderly case to go to trial in Sangamon County in the 14 years he has been a prosecutor here. [rc]
Copyright © 2009 GateHouse Media, Inc.
