Photo Courtesy of Flickr/Thomas Hawk
In addition to the prison term, Simmons signed a confession of judgment to repay the $177,722.88.
By Forum Staff
A home health aide has been sentenced to up to five years in prison for stealing more than $170,000 from elderly an Queens couple, according to Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown.
The 42-year old Islip resident, identified as Chaniesa Simmons plead guilty to bilking an elderly couple she worked for out of more than $170,000.
The defendant worked as a home health aide for the victims and over the course of nine months in 2016 she forged checks payable to herself and cashed them.
“The victims in this case placed their trust in this defendant and she betrayed them by enriching herself with their life savings,” said DA Brown.
Simmons pleaded guilty on August 1, to third-degree grand larceny before Queens Supreme Court Justice Charles Lopresto and signed a confession of judgment to repay the $177,722.88.
According to charges in the case, the victims were a 92-year-old husband and his 88-year-old wife who suffers from dementia and needed around-the-clock care. The defendant was hired to assist them with their daily living and other services, including trips to the doctor. The husband hired Simmons as a personal aide approximately five years ago.
In December 2016, Merrill Lynch notified the husband’s son, who has power of attorney over his father’s financial affairs, of numerous checks that had been written from his father’s cash management account that appeared to be forged. The checks were all payable to Simmons and had been negotiated through her checking account. A review of the father’s financial accounts for the calendar year 2016 showed forged checks totaling more than $170,000 from two separate bank accounts and payable to Simmons.
