NEWTOWN TWP., Pennsylvania (WPVI) — A lady in Bucks County who labored as a caregiver to the aged and faked having most cancers to delay her theft trial was sentenced in court docket on Wednesday.
Shannon Lynn Eberhart, 48, of Bensalem, was sentenced for stealing hundreds of {dollars} in money and heirloom jewellery from the households of two aged girls she cared for.
She then submitted pretend medical paperwork claiming to have stage 4 esophageal most cancers to delay her trial.
Shannon Lynn Eberhart, 48, of Bensalem, Pa.
Eberhart was initially charged in February 2023 following an investigation by Newtown Township police.
The investigation revealed that Eberhart had stolen money and jewellery from two girls who she labored for as a caregiver.
“It was not in regards to the financial worth,” famous Deputy District Legal professional Marc J. Furber. “These have been items of heirloom jewellery handed down from technology to technology, now gone.”
Police say she additionally made unauthorized withdrawals from one of many sufferer’s financial institution accounts.
After the investigation, Eberhart waived her preliminary listening to and formal arraignment, and the case was scheduled for pre-trial on three totally different events.
A month earlier than her scheduled court docket listening to in December 2023, nonetheless, Eberhart offered a doc seemingly from a Montgomery County hospital claiming she had stage 4 most cancers.
When authorities contacted the medical doctors named within the letter, they stated they’d by no means handled Eberhart or approved her letter. The letter was additionally discovered to have a number of inaccuracies, such because the official title of the hospital and its brand.
Investigators additionally realized that Eberhart submitted the doc to her lawyer, who then despatched it to the Bucks County District Legal professional’s Workplace.
On Wednesday, Eberhart pleaded responsible to the illegal use of a pc and two counts of id theft associated to submitting the pretend letter.
In March, she pleaded responsible to 2 counts of monetary exploitation of an older grownup or care-dependent individual, theft by illegal taking, and different offenses.
The households of the victims on this case gave affect statements on Eberhart’s deceit.
They stated they’d cared for Eberhart, and her actions impacted them emotionally, not simply financially. One sufferer recalled giving her flowers after Eberhart’s mom handed, besides that was unfaithful.
Eberhart’s mom was in court docket on Wednesday.
“Shannon’s actions listed below are unforgivable,” one of many victims stated. “These items of bijou inform tales of my household, previous and current, and might by no means get replaced.”
Eberhart was sentenced to 1 12 months minus a day to 2 years minus a day within the Bucks County Correctional Facility. She is going to then serve 11 consecutive years of probation.
The decide additionally ordered her to pay $32,835 in restitution to 3 victims, endure psychological well being and drug and alcohol remedy, and by no means work as a caregiver once more.
“You might be nothing however a con artist who deceived the individuals who cared for you,” stated Decide Gary Gilman. “You betrayed each most cancers affected person, you betrayed the court docket system, you betrayed your lawyer.”
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