Woman 'convinced husband he had Alzheimer's after stealing $800k'
A woman has been charged with larceny, after she allegedly stole over $600,000 ($A804,070) from her husband and convinced him he had Alzheimer’s.
Donna Marino, 63, was arrested in late October after her husband's adult daughter, Elena, found incriminating documents, the Associated Press reported.
For the last 20 years, Marino has been allegedly stealing from her husband, according to a warrant affidavit, she told police she was using the money to help relatives.
According to news station WFSB, Marino forged her husband's signature on pension cheques, social security cheques, workers' compensation settlements and other legal documents and then deposited the funds.
According to the the New Haven Register she also fraudulently obtained power of attorney to file her husband's taxes and pawned some of his belongings.
To cover her tracks, she convinced her husband he had Alzheimer’s disease.
“Donna explained when (her husband) wanted to go inside the bank to make a transaction, she told him the last time he went inside he made a scene due to his Alzheimer’s Disease, causing (him) not to go inside to avoid embarrassment,” said Sgt. Gregory Borer said in the affidavit.
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“Donna explained she fabricated this scenario to prevent (her husband) from going inside the bank and discovering the low balance in their accounts.”
Elena said Marino made up stories she would tell her husband about him running around the house chasing her. Her father's mother had Alzheimer’s and he was fearful he would be diagnosed with the disease.
According to WFSB, Ms Marino took control of her husband's finances before they married back in 2009 and was stealing money from him as far back as 1999.
The man's daughter Elena first became suspicious of Ms Marino in 2019, when she noticed her father's credit score had dropped.
She also said she tried to get in touch with her dad, but Ms Marino had rerouted his phone, so she would get all his phone calls.
The husband reportedly filed for divorce and went to the authorities in March last year.
Marino has been charged with first-degree larceny and third-degree forgery, PEOPLE reported.
With Associated Press
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