By: exploreJefferson
BROOKVILLE BOROUGH, Pa. (EYT) – A 39-year-old woman is accused of stealing nearly $50,000.00 from her 70-year-old mother over the course of two and a half years.
According to court documents, the Brookville Borough Police Department filed criminal charges against 39-year-old Amy D. Mace, of Spring Glen, Schuylkill County, Pa., in Gregory M. Bazylak’s office on August 4, 2023.
Police say the dates and times of this incident occurred between March 2010 and September 2022.
According to a criminal complaint, on September 19, 2022, around 9:45 a.m., a Brookville Borough Police Officer was made aware of the possible theft of funds from a 70-year-old woman.
The complaint states that a representative of the Area Agency on Aging reported the victim went to her bank to see why her bank account was overdrawn, and she discovered that her daughter Amy Mace had withdrawn an exorbitant amount of money.
The representative of the Area Agency on Aging reported to police that she had already requested the financial records of the victim.
The victim and the representative of Area Agency on Aging met with the Brookville Borough Police Officer. The victim explained that she had allowed Mace to withdraw $300.00 from her bank account on a single occasion, the complaint states.
During the interview with the victim, she explained she lived with Mace for around 10 years. She stated that she gave Mace her debit card for various reasons, and at one point, the victim did not get her card back. The victim indicated that Mace would use the card at her leisure for what the victim felt were groceries and household supplies. The victim added that Mace would take her checkbook and write out checks. In the beginning, she had pre-signed checks for Mace’s use but eventually, Mace just started writing out checks. It was noted that the victim had not given Mace permission to sign checks on her own or cash checks without her consent, the complaint states.
According to the complaint, on October 10, 2022, the representative of Area Agency of Aging reached out to the Brookville Borough Police Officer via email. She reported that the victim had received a letter from AT&T stating she owes $4,053.09. The victim stated that Mace told her that she was on her cell phone plan, and the victim stated that she never signed up for cell phone coverage.
On November 1, 2022, the Brookville Borough Police Officer spoke to Amy Mace. Mace told the officer she was coming to the area, so the officer asked her to stop on Thursday, and Mace agreed to be there between 11:30 a.m. and noon.
In the meantime, the representative of Area Agency of Aging helped the victim obtain a copy of her credit report which showed a debt collection that had been turned over to a law firm. It was learned from the law firm that the credit was opened for Care Credit through Aspen from Selinsgrove, Pa. The victim explained that she never opened a line of credit for any healthcare, the complaint states.
According to the complaint, during the interview with Mace, she reportedly admitted to forging checks. She could not tell the officer the amount of checks she forged. Mace also reportedly admitted to using a Zelle account to withdraw money from the victim’s bank account.
The complaint notes that the victim stated to the officer that she agreed to lend Mace a total of $3,000.00 once the victim received money from selling her house.
The total amount withdrawn using the Zelle accounts is $51,705.00, the complaint states.
The total amount taken without the victim’s permission is listed as $48,705.00, the complaint continues.
According to the complaint, it appeared that Mace forged 63 checks using the victim’s name. These checks were listed during the interview with Mace.
It was also noted that according to Mace, she and the victim sat down at the computer and filled out an online application for Care Credit. However, the victim is unaware of signing up for credit through Aspen Dental (Care Credit) for dental repairs/dentures for Amy Mace, the complaint indicates.
Mace faces the following charges:
– Forgery – Unauthorized Act In Writing, Felony 2 (63 counts)
– Theft By Unlawful Taking-Movable Property, Felony 3
– Criminal Use Of Communication Facility, Felony 3
– Financial Exploitation of Older Adult or Care Dependent Person, Felony 3
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for September 12, 2023, at 2:15 p.m. with Judge Bazylak presiding.