Accused Of Fraud or Financial Abuse?

Bentley, Kopecki, Smith, P.C., represents caregivers, legal guardians, family members and those accused of elder fraud scams in Berks County and the surrounding counties of southeast Pennsylvania. Our criminal defense lawyers will do everything we can to avoid formal fraud charges or mitigate the criminal penalties and collateral consequences.

Most elder abuse is perpetrated by family members. A common scenario involves an adult child who has power of attorney or is the court-appointed legal guardian. Access to bank accounts can prove tempting, especially if the family member has a drug habit, gambling problem or other financial woes. Another common scenario is a pattern of theft by nurses, hospice workers or family caregivers who tend an elderly person who is vulnerable because of dementia, mental illness or health problems. Lastly, mentally compromised individuals are highly susceptible to phone scams, door-to-door scams and other types of fraud that target the elderly.

The courts are very protective of vulnerable adults, and come down especially hard on those who have a fiduciary duty (appointed guardians) or a professional duty (licensed care workers). Our goal is to avoid jail or prison if at all possible. First-time offenders may qualify for alternative sentencing programs that substitute probation, restitution and other conditions for incarceration. It takes a skilled and knowledgeable attorney to negotiate this kind of leniency, or to fight the allegations at trial, and to recognize which approach is best for your situation.