A former Bucks County caregiver – who stole 1000’s from aged purchasers – has been accused of faking her most cancers analysis to delay theft path.
Officers mentioned Shannon Lynn Eberhart, 48 of Bensalem was sentenced on Wednesday for stealing 1000’s of {dollars} in cash and heirloom jewellery from the households of two aged girls she cared for after which submitting pretend medical paperwork claiming to have stage 4 esophageal most cancers in order that she might delay her trial.
Officers mentioned Eberhart was initially charged in late February 2023 after an investigation by the Newtown Township Police Division revealed that she stole jewellery and money whereas working as a caretaker.
The investigation additionally discovered that Eberhart made unauthorized withdrawals from one of many sufferer’s financial institution accounts.
Simply earlier than Eberhart’s courtroom listening to in December of 2023, officers mentioned the Bucks County District Lawyer’s workplace acquired a letter from a Montgomery County hospital that claimed Eberhart had stage 4 most cancers and wanted her trial to be delayed.
Officers mentioned Bucks County detectives contacted the 2 docs named within the letter and each mentioned they by no means wrote the letter and by no means handled Eberhart.
Representatives of the hospital additionally confirmed that the letter was pretend and contained a number of inaccuracies, together with the official identify of the hospital and its emblem. Officers added that the hospital additionally confirmed the 2 docs named within the letter by no means even labored there.
The investigation by Bucks County Detectives discovered that the letter was written utilizing a pc, because it contained a digitally created emblem and headers, footers, and margins, in line with officers.
Eberhart was even the one who emailed the pretend letter to her lawyer, who in flip submitted the letter to the Bucks County District Lawyer’s Workplace, officers mentioned.
Officers mentioned each households concerned on this case have been deeply impacted by Eberhart’s actions.
On Wednesday, officers mentioned Eberhart pleaded responsible to the costs of illegal use of a pc and two counts of id theft associated to the submission of fraudulent documentation. In March, she pleaded responsible to 2 counts of monetary exploitation of an older grownup or care dependent individual, theft by illegal taking, and receiving stolen property and one rely of id theft and entry system fraud.
Widespread Pleas Choose Gary B. Gilman referred to as Eberhart’s actions “despicable and unfathomable” and sentenced her to at least one to 2 years in jail, adopted by eleven years probation.
“You’re nothing however a con artist who deceived the individuals who cared for you,” Gilman mentioned to Eberhart. “You betrayed each most cancers affected person, you betrayed the courtroom system, you betrayed your lawyer,”
Officers mentioned along with her jail and probation sentence, Gilman ordered Eberhart to pay $32,835 in restitution to the victims concerned, endure psychological well being and drug and alcohol remedy and by no means work as a caregiver once more.
