CLEARFIELD-A Clearfield man charged with taking over $89,000 from an elderly woman was sentenced to state prison on Monday in Clearfield County Court.
Wayne Dennis Clifton, 54, 613 West Front St., Clearfield, an inmate of the jail, pleaded guilty to eight counts each of theft by unlawful taking and theft by deception in one case, access device fraud, identity theft and forgery in a second case, and theft by deception in a third case. He was sentenced to six months to five years in state prison for each count which will run concurrent with each other. In a fourth case, he pleaded guilty to defrauding secured creditors and was given two years concurrent probation. He was fined $21 plus costs and must pay restitution of over $89,900.
As part of his plea agreement he had to return ownership of an insurance policy to the victim and transfer the title of his vehicle for sale to help pay the restitution.
The charges stem from incidents beginning in Aug. 2008 and ending in Oct. of 2011. According to the affidavit of probable cause in the first case, the victim told police that she gave Clifton power of attorney in Aug. 2008. She revoked his power of attorney in Aug. 2010 after she discovered he was using her money for his own benefit.
Clifton reportedly bought a truck for $23,662 and spent an additional $27,173.28 during this two year period.
The victim told police she gave him power of attorney because she felt she could trust him to pay take care of her bills while she was in a nursing home. She never gave Clifton permission to use her money for anything else.
In the second case from October police began to investigate a report of identity theft from the same victim who received a bill from a collection agency for a Kwik Fill credit card account. The account was opened in her name without her knowledge or permission. The transactions occurred between Feb. and March 2011 and totaled $636.41.
In the third case,Cliftoncompleted an insurance form for the victim’s policy that changed the ownership from the victim to Clifton in March 2003. She told police that he had forged her name on the form. She said she would not have given ownership of it to Clifton because it was for her funeral expenses.
In the last case,Cliftondamaged a property onEast Walnut StreetinClearfieldand was ordered by a magistrate to pay $2,452.10 in October 2010. When Cliftondid not pay, a levy was placed against Clifton’s vehicle. In January 2011 when a constable arrived to execute the sale of the vehicle,Clifton objected. Another hearing was scheduled on Feb. 8 bu tClifton failed to appear for the hearing. Another execution of sale was set for Feb. 19, 2011 but when the constable arrived at his residence, Cifton told him the vehicle wasn’t there.
Cliftonis a former “Fugitive of the week.” A warrant was issued in January forCliftonafter he failed to appear for a preliminary hearing in the second case. Another warrant was issued after he failed to appear for criminal call in February for the first case. He was apprehended by sheriff’s deputies on Feb. 8, according to a press release from the district attorney’s office.