An elderly woman left $270,000 for charity. Two sisters stole it, attorney general says
Two sisters were sentenced Monday after pleading no contest to charges related to stealing more than $272,000 from an elderly resident of a care facility in Escalon, the California Attorney General’s Office said.
Lesley Danielle Pinola, a facility administrator at a Place Called Home II, convinced a 66-year-old woman to hand over her money to Pinola through a series of checks, the office said in a release. Rita Ann Tiffany Martinez assisted by allowing large amounts of the money to be deposited into accounts belonging to her, the release also said.
The victim later died from serious health issues, and her will stated that she wanted to split the proceeds of her state equally between Doctors Without Borders USA and Shriners Hospital for Children - Northern California.
“The defendants’ fraudulent actions significantly deprived the victim of these final wishes,” the release said.
The theft appears to have taken place between August and December 2019, according to a criminal complaint attached to the press release.
Pinola was sentenced to 180 days in jail and two years of felony probation after pleading no contest in San Joaquin County Superior Court to one felony count of theft from an elder or dependent adult. Rita Ann Tiffany Martinez was sentenced to 90 days in jail and one year probation after pleading no contest to a misdemeanor charge of receiving stolen property.
As part of their sentencing, Pinola and Martinez were required to pay $240,000 immediately back into the victim’s estate, and Martinez’s lawyer said that money was paid in December. Pinola is required to pay back the remaining amount while serving probation.
The total original amount is expected to be paid back to the estate and distributed to the two charities it was intended for.
“Two sisters decided to take advantage of an elderly resident for their own personal gain, and now they are facing the consequences of their actions,” Attorney General Bonta said in the release. “The stolen money that has been returned will be donated towards its intended purpose, fulfilling the last wishes of a resident who wanted to do good for others.”
According to the criminal complaint documents, Pinola also stole money from a man in Stanislaus County between May 2020 and May 2021.
An earlier version of the story incorrectly identified the type and duration of Martinez’s probation.
This story was originally published February 14, 2022 at 5:15 PM.
