(WWJ) An Oakland County woman who pleaded guilty to stealing from an elderly veteran will not serve jail time.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Tuesday that Margaret Risdon of Bloomfield Hills, who was charged back in 2020, was sentenced in 6th Circuit Court to three years’ probation and 100 hours of community service after her conviction on one count of Embezzlement from a Vulnerable Adult between $50,000 and $100,000.
Risdon, 62, was also ordered to work a part-time job and is prohibited from violating any law or consuming drugs and alcohol. The judge ordered that she must also pay $72,843 in restitution to the victim’s estate.
According to the AG's office, between Nov. 6, 2016 and July 20, 2017, Risdon wrote checks from the victim’s bank account to herself and her business, Electronic Creations, totaling nearly $56,800, and made ATM withdrawals totaling more than $16,000. Risdon would then deposit the checks into her bank account and withdraw the money in cash.
The victim, who'd been in a nursing home and the hospital, alerted Veterans Affairs that someone was stealing from him.
“Protecting our most vulnerable populations is one of my top priorities,” Nessel said, in a statement. “I appreciate the hard work done by investigators at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the dedication of my prosecutors who relentlessly pursue those who target our state’s most vulnerable adults.”
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Risdon did not have power of attorney for the victim, and was not his guardian or conservator, Nessel noted. She also failed to file State of Michigan income tax returns to account for the roughly $72,000 she received from the victim.
Nessel says more than 73,000 older adults in Michigan are victims of elder abuse each year.
To file a report of elder abuse, call the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Adult Protective Services at 855-444-3911. Learn more here.
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