A Florida mother and daughter team who were hired to care for a 92-year-old woman with dementia have been charged with stealing over $500,000 from her.
Diane Durbon and her daughter, Brittany Lukasik, were hired by the woman’s niece to make sure she ate properly and had social interactions, The Miami Herald reported.
Over time, Durbon gained control over the woman’s finances — including her investment accounts and annuity policy — resulting in about $542,700 in stolen money deposited into Lukasik’s bank accounts between January 2019 and March 2020, prosecutors said.
With the woman’s money, Durbon and Lukasik bought a $26,000 car, paid off car and student loan debts, bought a lakefront duplex in Cape Coral and spent over $100,000 to buy electronics and furniture and to remodel their new home, according to prosecutors. They’re also accused of making more than $100,000 in credit card purchases.
Now, Durbon and Lukasik have been sentenced to federal prison in connection with the theft and must forfeit the Cape Coral duplex, two cars and $542,760, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida announced in an Aug. 18 news release. The duplex has an estimated market value of $408,090, Lee County Property Appraiser records show.
Read the full report at The Miami Herald.
Image via Shutterstock
