YORK COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM)– A York County woman was arrested Tuesday on charges that accuse her of allegedly stealing over $500,000 from a relative who was suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Jerri Lare, 53, of Hanover, allegedly stole $584,551 from the relative’s accounts while she was the power of attorney from 2021 to 2023, Penn Township Police said in the charges filed.

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In December, police got a report from the owner of Sharon’s Personal Care about the possible financial exploitation of an elderly patient.

The owner told police that Lare was the one responsible for paying the woman’s bills and that she hadn’t paid the monthly fee for the last three months. According to the complaint, Lare owed over $2,900 in payments to Sharon’s Personal Care.

Lare resigned as the woman’s power of attorney and another family took over the role. According to the criminal complaint, the relative told police that Lare had stolen money from the woman, including from her retirement account and social security.

When Lare had the power of attorney, police say she set up a joint account so she could move the woman’s retirement funds. Police said that when they spoke to the woman, she did not know the money was moved and said that she never permitted Jare to spend the funds.

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The criminal complaint states that when police spoke with Lare, she admitted to transferring the woman’s money to her private account and that she also used the money to pay for personal items like a hot tub and bills.

Lare stated that since she had the power of attorney she could do whatever she wanted with the money because she was supposed to be the beneficiary of a will, but police said that it was never legally signed.

Lare faces felony charges of theft by deception, financial exploitation of an older adult or care-dependant person and theft by failing to make required disposition of funds. She also faces a misdemeanor charge for bad checks.

Lare is currently out on unsecured bail that was set at $25,000 and awaits a preliminary hearing scheduled for March 5.

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