MIAMI.- Katherine Fernández-Rundle, Miami-Dade State Attorney, announced the arrest of a caregiver accused of exploiting older adults and stealing more than 100,000 dollars from her alleged Alzheimer’s victim.
It is still unclear how in 2016, Zoraida Demis Mollinea, 78, became the attorney-in-fact for the victim, Lina Gómez, 89, and used a power of attorney to be included in the victim’s financial accounts, the prosecutor said. at a press conference in his Miami office.
According to the investigation, in 2021, Mollinea sold the victim’s house with a net profit of $390,000. The house was free of mortgage and any encumbrance, the investigation indicates. “The amount of $361,942 was deposited into the victim’s Wells Fargo account,” the affidavit adds.
The victim has no family and suffers from advanced Alzheimer’s and dementia, the prosecutor explained.
According to the affidavit, after the sale of the property, Mollinea withdrew large amounts of money from the victim’s account on purchases at The Home Depot or Amazon including locks, masonry cabinets, painting equipment, photocopiers; All of this occurred while the victim lived in a rental apartment.
Mollinea had a fiduciary duty to act in the best interest of the victim and to use his assets solely for the benefit of the victim. Nothing in the signed power of attorney gives the defendant ownership of the victim’s property.
Despite this, Mollinea has stolen and dissipated hundreds of thousands of dollars of the victim’s life savings, leaving her nearly destitute.
Mollinea is charged with one count of grand theft over $100,000, one count of felony exploitation of the elderly over $50,000 and one count of scheme to defraud over $50,000.
Gómez has been rescued and taken to a hospital. “She is not well, but now she is in good hands,” said Fernández Rundle and called on the community to be vigilant in these cases of elder abuse.
(email protected)
@menendezpryce
