WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - A Wichita woman who took $54,000 from her stepmother’s account while the older woman was in a nursing home with dementia has been sentenced to two years and eight months in prison and ordered to pay restitution.
Shelby Frias, 53, was sentenced Friday for mistreatment of an elder person. She also was ordered to pay restitution, District Attorney Marc Bennett said in a news release. The 72-year-old stepmother had failing health and dementia and died about five months after the theft was discovered in 2017.
At her trial in January, Frias testified her stepmother wanted her to keep the money safe in case she ever was able to leave the nursing home.
Evidence at trial showed that Frias spent much of the money on shopping, hotels, trips and rental cars.
The nursing home notified state officials after it discovered the resident’s housing bill was no longer being paid. An investigation by the Kansas Department for Children and Families led to the criminal charges.
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