An elderly couple’s caretaker stole $288,000. She bought a Broward house — and prison
As caretaker of a married couple in their 90s, a Tamarac woman took their money and took care of herself: the ballroom for her daughter’s wedding reception, new windows, fence and air-conditioning unit for her house, the down payment for the house itself.
Sherri Lynn Smith, 52, will be moving out of that house by Dec. 1. That’s her surrender-by date for the start of a four-year, three-month federal prison sentence she received in Fort Pierce federal court on Friday.
The sentence breaks down to two years, three months for bank fraud served consecutively, with two years for fraud with identification documents. There’s also a $168,895 restitution and $288,865 cash forfeiture.
READ MORE: Florida couple’s caretaker pleads guilty in elder fraud case.
Elder fraud in the house
Smith’s guilty plea says once the husband suffered a stroke, the couple’s son-in-law hired Smith to help with their daily “personal and financial affairs.”
That last part gave Smith access to their bank accounts. By forging a signature on checks and transferring money electronically to bank and credit card accounts in both her name and her husband’s name, Smith ripped off $288,865 from 2016 to 2019.
Among her uses for the money:
▪ Smith forged a $500 check to Miramar’s Jubilee Ballroom, where her daughter’s wedding reception was held in 2017.
▪ Smith forged a $16,000 check to “J.C.” her real estate closing attorney. Broward County Property Records say Jacqueline Cannavan was the closing agent when Sherri Lynn Smith, husband John Smith and Justin Smith bought 7703 NW 73rd Ter., a three-bedroom, two-bathroom home in Tamarac, on June 21, 2018.
▪ Smith forged a $6,000 check to herself and used it for home improvements in windows, fencing and a new A/C unit.
▪ Two electronic payments totaling $2,674.33 to Smith’s husband’s Chase credit card account in February and April of 2019.
▪ Zelle transfers from the couple’s Bank of America savings account to Smith’s Chase Bank account totaling $46,000.
The son-in-law who hired Smith discovered the thefts.
This story was originally published August 31, 2022 at 8:55 AM.
