UPDATE: Nov 15, 2011
Paul Tart, 29, from Santa Rosa who embezzled more than $100,000 from his wife’s grandfather while posing as a decorated combat veteran and Sonoma County sheriff’s deputy was sentenced Tuesday to five years in state prison.
Read the full Press Democrat article here
–
UPDATE: Sept 30, 2011
The Santa Rosa man charged with defrauding his 97 year-old grandfather-in-law rejected a plea bargain that would have offered him five years in county jail and a single count of elder financial abuse. He is also charged with impersonating a Marine Corps combat veteran.
Paul Tart, 29, did not accept the prosecution’s deal and will be heading to trail. His charges consist of five felonies including forgery and a misdemeanor for falsely representing a military veteran.
Tart will appear for his next hearing on Monday. If convicted he could face six years in state prison.
–
The Press Democrat reports today that Santa Rosa resident Paul Tart, 29, has been arrested for stealing more than $100,000 from his wife’s 97 year-old grandfather. Presumably an act of fraud, the grandfather reported two weeks ago to the Sheriff’s Office that his checking account had been mysteriously overdrawn.
After an initial investigation, detectives served Tart with a warrant, then arrested him at his home after finding forged documents and canceled checks. Apparently, Tart had secured a Power of Attorney over the grandfather’s assets and emptied the elderly man’s bank account to support his prescription drug habit.
In today’s digital age it is imperative the elderly take great caution in securing their finances with trusted individuals. Working with a professional fiduciary, by setting up a trust or asset management agreement, can save families the burden of dealing with senior fraud by professional scammers or, heaven forbid, nefarious family members.
