A home health aide worker was charged on March 4 with stealing approximately $93,000 from one of her patients.
Debra Allen, 54, of Millstone, was charged with theft by deception, forgery, uttering forged checks, theft by unlawful taking and use of the victim’s credit card, according to a joint statement prepared by Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey and Chief Michael E. Lloyd of the Monroe Township Police Department.
Bail was set at $100,000.
Allen was charged during an investigation by Detective Joseph Silvestri of the Monroe Township Police Department and Detective Linda Infusino of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office.
During the investigation, it was determined that Allen allegedly took the victim’s checkbook to write checks to herself and took a credit card to make purchases that included clothing and to cover the cost of cosmetic surgery. The thefts occurred between December 2015 and February 2016, police said.
The victim, an 81-year-old Monroe Township resident, called police after bank officials contacted him.
“The Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office has recently assembled a group of its existing detectives to serve on an Elder Abuse and Exploitation Team. This specialized team works closely with local police agencies to combat elder abuse and fraud. This arrest is a result of that cooperative effort. I commend the efforts of Detective Silvestri and the MCPO Elder Abuse and Exploitation Team,” Carey said.
Anyone with information should call Silvestri at 732-521-0222, ext. 151 or Infusino at 732-745-3477.
