 |
|
|
|
|
Local couple charged with elder fraud
By Sam Scott
A Sunnyvale couple was arraigned on March 6 in a Santa Clara County Court on charges the pair defrauded a bedridden, 94-year-old woman, with whom they lived as caregivers.
Police on March 3 arrested Stephen Paul Rougeau, 46, and Chyril Diane Rougeau, 40, on charges of elder and credit fraud. The arrests culminated after a two-week investigation by the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Elder Fraud Division. Deputy District Attorney Cindy Seeley said a tip to Adult Protective Services led to the investigation. Seeley did not release the name of the victim.
Seeley said Chryil Rougeau was introduced to the victim by Project Match, a San Jose-based nonprofit organization that matches seniors needing roommates with people needing housing. Stephen Rougeau moved in six months later.
Both defendants have criminal records, Seeley said. Stephen Rougeau, twice- convicted for felony robberies, faces life imprisonment under the state's three-strikes law.
Seeley said the pair allegedly pressured the woman to write checks to cover their expenses, used her credit card without permission, and took out credit cards in her name without permission. Seeley said they also may have forged the victim's signature on checks. Officials do not yet know the full extent of the financial damages.
Chryril Rougeau had reportedly been living with the victim for three years, while Stephen Rougeau had been at the residence for more than two years, Seeley said. Before the pair can post bail, officials will conduct an investigation to make sure the money used does not belong to the victim.
Typical of many elder fraud cases, Seeley said, the woman depended on the Rougeaus' care. Elderly victims frequently rely so completely on their caregivers that they tolerate oppressive situations, she said. Seeley said she estimates only one in 14 cases of elder fraud are reported to authorities.
"Many of them [elder victims] are afraid to report things because they think they'll be left alone, defenseless," she said.
Seeley said prior to the arrests, investigators made sure that at no moment would the woman be left alone and made arrangements to find home care. Seeley said the victim is well, but depressed.
Bob Campbell, executive director of Project Match, said the arrest was "devastating" for his organization. Campbell said the San Jose-based organization, in 20 years, has made more than 16,000 pairings of clients and caregivers.
The organization requires prospective caregivers to sign a form saying they have never been convicted of a crime, but does not perform criminal background checks, Campbell said.
Project Match performs several post-referral checkups, but Campbell said the group is basically a referral service and has little power once a match is made. When Stephen Rougeau moved in, Campbell said, Project Match had no power of intervention since the victim agreed to the situation. Campbell said the woman told officials last April that Chryril and Stephen Rougeau were moving out, and the organization believed the match was no longer current.
Campbell said Project Match employees and administrators have scheduled a March 17 meeting to investigate ways to prevent similar abuse in the future.
|
|
|
|
Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
