Care home owner sentenced for elder financial abuse
Aug. 16—ASHLAND — A former care home owner convicted of swindling her elderly patients out of money was sentenced on Monday to serve 18 months in a federal prison.
In addition to her time in prison, Donna Sue Glass, 52, of Argillite — convicted of two counts of wire fraud, must pay nearly $90,000 in restitution to her victim's estates.
The three victims, according to court documents, were former patients of Glass's, residing at the Glass Family Care Home.
During their stay, U.S. attorneys alleged Glass was appointed guardianship over one patient and became signee's on the other patient's finances due to their physical and mental ailments, per the indictment handed up in December 2022.
Prosecutors added Glass acquired access to her patient's bank accounts and then bankrupted them and spent the patient's savings, Social Security and retirement checks on personal expenses, including vacations.
In a sentence recommendation, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn M. Dieruf wrote "elder financial exploitation is the type of cynical, insidious crime that must be met with a serious sentence of incarceration."
U.S. prosecutors recommended a 26-month sentence while Glass's defense attorney, Michael Curtis requested home incarceration, as Glass "has been a nurse and ... had done an excellent job in caring for her patients."
"The defendant's residents were senior citizens whose mental and physical capacities had deteriorated to the point of needing the care of a family care home. The defendant took advantage of her residents' vulnerabilities, lack of oversight and trust in her to use and abuse their bank accounts or outright steal their income," Dieruf wrote.
United States District Judge David L. Bunning gave a recommendation for Glass to spend her 18 months at a federal correctional institution in Alderson, West Virginia — a minimum security prison for female inmates.
Glass is due to report for incarceration on Nov. 2 and after her service of sentence, Glass will receive court supervision for three years.
According to court records, the former Glass Family Care Home is for sale — and by court order, Glass must apply any money gained from a sale toward her victims.
(606) 326-2652 — mjepling@dailyindependent.com
