Caregiver stole woman’s life savings and bought beach house and cars, AL officials say

A caregiver took advantage of an assisted living facility resident when she became her power of attorney, stole her life savings and spent millions, officials said.

With the woman’s money, Lisa Talton Wells Daugherty, 57, of Attalla, Alabama, bought two homes worth over $1 million each, including a beach house, as well as several cars worth $120,000 and $86,000 on dental implants, according to the Alabama attorney general’s office.

In total, Daugherty stole $10 million from the woman who lived at Oak Landing Assisted Living in Etowah County, where Daugherty worked, officials said.

Daugherty pleaded guilty to four counts of first-degree financial exploitation of an elderly person on May 4, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announced in a news release.

She was sentenced to 20 years, including five years in prison, the release said.

“Daugherty will feel the full force of justice after using her position as a caregiver to exploit a vulnerable elderly woman from her life savings,” Marshall said.

Information regarding an attorney for Daugherty wasn’t immediately available.

As part of her sentencing, Daugherty agreed to forfeit $5.5 million in stolen money in connection with a pending federal case and also agreed “to make restitution for the remaining balance,” officials said.

More on the case

The case dates to January 2017, when Daugherty became the woman’s power of attorney, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama.

The state attorney general’s office began investigating Daugherty, who worked as a care technician at Oak Landing Assisted Living, when federal officials alerted them to the financial exploitation, the release said.

Daugherty began draining the woman’s accounts and transferring the cash to herself, according to the attorney general’s office.

In total, she swindled $8.5 million from the woman and took over her personal and real property worth more than $1.5 million, the release said.

Marshall called Daugherty’s actions “egregious” and said financial fraud regularly occurs in the state.

He is urging residents to contact his office if they believe similar crimes are occurring in Alabama.

Etowah County is about 60 miles northeast of Birmingham.

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